GRAB: the world at your fingertips EUROPEAN COMMISSION Information Society Directorate-General Emerging Technologies and Infrastructures. Applications Elderly and persons with disabilities Concertation Meeting 19 May 2003 Brussels GRAB: the world at your fingertips GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

GRAB: haptic/audio virtual environment GRAB enables sensing and interaction with 3D graphics using touch and audio Designed for blind people – though has many applications Innovation in: Hardware Software modeling tool Applications: currently Graphs and Maps Potential to increase employment and leisure opportunities GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

GRAB Haptic Interface vs PHANToM Performance GRAB HI PHANToM (6DoF/Premium 1.5) Workspace 600x400x400mm 195x270x375mm Max exertable force 20 N 8.5 N Force feedback resolution 0.05 N 0.04 N Force accuracy > 1 N ? Stiffness > 8 N/mm 3.5 N/mm 2 fingers 1 finger GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

System view of GRAB Haptic Geometric Modeller Haptic Interface Maps, Charts, Game Applications Get position of User´s fingers Analyse position of User´s fingers Haptic Geometric Modeller Haptic Process Host PC Library Replicate forces on User´s fingers Compute forces to be sent to user Haptic Interface Interaction report Action Control input via keyboard Manage User actions Rendering Verbal commands Design virtual environment ViaVoice Generate audio messages Send Audio messages Define attributes Management Process Geometric Modeller Audio Processes GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

Standard hardware elements in GRAB Motorisation system Manufacturing of mechanical components Electronic components Communication protocols Power supply, cabling and driving subsystems GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

Standard software elements in GRAB Operating System: Windows NT & 2000 Graphical and programming libraries (Open GL - C++) Modeller software developed to ISO9000 standards Object description and import facilities: translators from STEP & VRML to import models translator from Excel to import graphs new translators to import specific models Procedural standards: protocols for validation and results performance analysis of the device functionalities to exploit types and contents of the applications Operating Systems (Windows NT, Windows 2000) Graphical and programming libraries (Open GL - C++) Object description and import facilities: Translator from STEP to import models Translator from VRML to import models Translator from Excel to import graphs The object oriented design of the GRAB system facilitates the implementation of new translators, that can be required when a new application is going to be developed to import specific models Procedural standards: protocols for validation and results performance analysis of the device functionalities to exploit types and contents of the applications Modeller software developed to ISO9000 standards GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03

IP and exploitation opportunities Haptica, Dublin Core technology in embedded systems and augmented reality simulation Integrate GRAB h/w and s/w in current and future work? LABEIN, Bilbao Developed geometric modeller and all software; algorithms protected by copyright/trade secret Core business of LABEIN; potential to license software to third parties NCBI, Dublin Advises on and supplies a range of specially adapted hardware and software Dissemination, sales, promotion. PERCRO, Pisa (Scuola Superiore S. Anna,) Expertise in haptics; hold patent on haptic interface Exploit patent and license hardware where appropriate RNIB, UK Distributes products to 140 countries Dissemination, marketing and selling world-wide UTT – ONCE, Madrid Distribution and commercialisation of products for blind and visually impaired people Dissemination, marketing and selling GRAB concertation mtg 19 May 03