From: jks@ai.mit.edu (Kenneth Salisbury)
Subject: HAPTIC INTERFACES: hardware and references
Date: 17 Feb 93 11:19:06
Organization: MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory



FROM: Dr. Mandayam A. Srinivasan               Dr. J. Kenneth Salisbury
      36-796, Research Lab. of Electronics     NE43-837, AI Lab.,
      MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139.                MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139.
      e-mail: srinivasan@cbgrle.mit.edu        e-mail: jks@ai.mit.edu
      Phone: (617) 253-2512                    Phone: (617) 253-5834
      Fax:   (617) 258-7003                    Fax:   (617) 253-5060

The National Academy of Sciences is conducting a study to develop a
national agenda for R & D on Virtual Environment and Teleoperator
systems, and to recommend an R & D infrastructure for implementing
the agenda.  We are members of a subcommittee assigned to focus on 
Haptic Interfaces, which are meant to include devices that enable
manual interactions, such as joysticks, hand controllers, teleoperator 
masters, exoskeletal devices (includes gloves/body suits), tactile 
displays, etc.  At present, we are focussing on current technology.
We are putting together (1) an overview of the interface devices 
and (2) a comprehensive list of references.  We would appreciate 
any information concerning these topics that you can provide us.

==>> Since we need to complete a preliminary report within a few 
     days, please send your contribution by e-mail or fax ASAP.

(P.S. We don't read this newsgroup that often, but thought some of
you could help contribute to our data collection task.  Please, no
flames, just info. If there is a sci.virtual-worlds FAQ please send
me a pointer to it.  We'll do our best to post a summary of our
report here in the future.  Many thanks, Ken Salisbury, jks@ai.mit.edu)