A novel method to generate the geometry of a surface actuator

This paper presents the design, evaluation, and implementation of a continuous surface actuator. A surface actuator as a shape-changing interface can facilitate the modeling process in interactive product design approaches by rendering products in 3D space for better understanding and visualization. Controlling the deformation of a continuous tactile surface using a pneumatic air pressure mechanism holds promise as a tangible haptic interface. Previous haptic actuators could only provide physical point contact with the user’s hand. In this article, a three-dimensional (3D) surface is produced to simulate the shape of a desired continuous object. To investigate the mechanical behavior of this deformable surface, the hyperelastic Yeoh model is employed to numerically simulate the experimental system behavior. The parameters of the hyperelastic material have been characterized by a tensile test. An experimental setup is developed to produce an arbitrary spherical shape containing specific deformations. For validation purposes, the surface shape has been scanned and compared with the finite element simulation results.