Hap’n’Roll: A Scroll-inspired Device for Delivering Diverse Haptic Feedback with a Single Actuator

Hap’n’Roll is a wearable device that leverages the concept of a scroll to present, with a single motor, tactile sensations of various sizes, shapes, and textures. Hap’n’Roll is composed of two axes, a sheet, and one motor. By changing the number of sheet wraps, the thickness within the user’s hand can be adjusted. Additionally, using holes on the sheet to secure the fingertips, it can present a wide range of sizes and shapes. Unlike typical existing handheld shape-changing devices, Hap’n’Roll is not limited to cylindrical forms. Furthermore, by moving different materials attached on the sheet to the fingertips, it can also express different textures. A user study showed that Hap’n’Roll can convey at least three sizes (small, medium, and large) and four types of shapes (a cylinder, a rectangle, a cone, and a cup), with a shape and size identification accuracy of approx. 76.1%. The identification accuracy for shape alone was approx. 98.5%. Moreover, several applications were developed to showcase the effectiveness of Hap’n’Roll’s mechanism for various haptic feedback.