M-Hair

Exploring a New Era in Tactile Sensations through Magnetic Hair Stimulation

Traditional discriminative touch haptic devices focus on information transfer or perception emulation. However, they lack the subtlety needed for applications in therapeutic, well-being, or emotionally-focused touch. M-Hair enters the realm of affective touch, going beyond these limitations to offer a new way to deliver nuanced tactile sensations with potential healthcare benefits.

M-Hair uses a novel approach, instead of actuator direct skin contact, it gently manipulates body hair using a custom gel containing ferromagnetic materials. When paired with external magnetic fields, this allows for selective actuation of hairs, creating subtle tactile affective sensations.

The key innovation lies in the custom gel, the design of the magnetic actuation system, and understanding the relationship between hair movement and the user's sensory perception. Research suggests a connection with C-afferent nerve endings, which are specifically linked to pleasant touch and emotional responses.

M-Hair holds significant potential across multiple areas. In healthcare, its ability to provide gentle, customizable tactile stimulation directly targeting CT-Afferents could revolutionize chronic pain management by offering a self-administered, portable treatment option. Additionally, M-Hair could play a role in mental health by providing calming sensations to manage stress and anxiety. Beyond these concrete applications, M-Hair's unique approach to haptics opens exciting possibilities for enhancing XR experiences, adding a new layer of immersion that blurs the lines between the digital and physical worlds. This innovative nature is reflected in publications at prestigious HCI conferences (UIST, and SIGGRAPH Asia).
  • Software Engineering
  • Hardware System Design
  • Rapid Prototyping
  • Machine Learning
  • Project Management
  • C
  • C++
  • C#
  • Unity 3D
  • Unreal Engine
  • Android
  • Python
  • Java
  • Kotlin
  • Assembly
  • HDL
  • Embedded Linux
  • Altium Designer
  • LTspice
  • Cadence OrCAD
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Figma

Augmented Human Lab
Website
ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST 2019)
PDF| Video ACM Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques in Asia (SIGGRAPH Asia 2019)
PDF

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