DroneHaptics: Encountered-Type Haptic Interface Using Dome-Shaped Drone for 3-DoF Force Feedback

This paper introduces a dome shaped haptic drone that generates controllable 3D force feedback as an end-effector. To this end, a hemispherical cage using an aluminum mesh is attached to the drone. The proposed structure of the cage significantly improves the usability of drones in providing 3D force feedback while ensuring the safety of the users. In a set of experiments, the output force of the drone in six directions (upward, downward, forward, backward, right, left) in response to the thrust of the drone is measured. Then, the force-thrust relationship was mathematically formulated, which allows us to render accurate force feedback in an arbitrary direction. The force rendering accuracy of the system was evaluated by measuring errors between the force command and the actual force output in random locations. The force error rate was less than 8.6 %, which ensures that the system can generate perceptually accurate enough force feedback.