Think3 supports approach to multisensory modeling in funded project

Think3 is member of the consortium implementing the project SATIN. This project with a total cost of 5.1 million € was funded with 2.9 million € from the EU and started in 2006 under the coordination of Politecnico di Milano for 36 month duration.

SATIN stands for “Sound And Tangible Interfaces for Novel product design”. Other members of the consortium are the Portuguese Institituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores research institution, the Technical University of Eindhoven, University of Nottingham and as partners from the industry Alessi, Italdesign – Giugiaro, MOOG-FCS, Steklarna Hrastnik.

The research develops a new multimodal and multisensory interface system for product design integrating in an effective way novel modeling paradigms based on the fusion of vision, haptic and sound interface, through a “designer-centered” approach.

You can see the movie of the SATIN project on www.youtube.com/satinproject
This video presents the SATIN project and in particular its final result: the SATIN system. In the video, the several modules are described. A user demonstrates how to use the SATIN system for evaluating and modifying aesthetic shapes.

The SATIN system consists of a haptic interface, including two FCS-HapticMaster devices connected and integrated with a new haptic strip for shape evaluation and modification. The user can explore and evaluate a surface shape along a trajectory interactively defined by slipping her fingers on the haptic strip that takes the shape of the curve on the virtual model. The shape can be modified by exerting pressure on the haptic strip in single points, or by applying traction/compression and flexion/torsion at the ends of the strip. The visualization system is rear-projection based. The user wears stereoscopic glasses for 3D models viewing; her viewpoint is driven by an optical tracking system. The virtual shape is precisely superimposed to and co-aligned with the haptic strip in order to mimic real life situations. The system also provides metaphoric sounds related to geometric characteristics of the explored shape (curvature, discontinuities, etc.) and also provides feedback about the user’s actions (i.e. forces applied during shape manipulation).