Facilities

The liberty Electromagnetic tracking sensors from Polhemus are used to measure position and orientation in space. We are using 16 such sensors to mount on finger phanax and measure kinematics of human hand. 1.8mm diameter micro sensor provides full 6DOF tracking with 1.27 micron position resoultion and upto 0.0004 degree orientation resolution. We thank the cognitive science research initiative of Department of Science and technology for their generous support in getting this equipment.

The Nano 17 and Nano 25 sensors from ATI are used in measuring finger tip forces in all three directions. We have a set of 5 of these sensors that can be fit into objects of various sizes/shapes and many tasks can be studied. We thank IIT Madras for funding this equipment through the new faculty seed grant.

The PQ12 series are one of the the smallest linear actuator. It weighs only 15g and features a stroke length of 20mm. The PQ12-P micro feedback actuators feature an internal potentiometer that can be used to provide position feedback. They do not have an internal controller or end-limit switches. You can use your PQ12 -P as a Linear Servo using the LAC (Linear Actuator Control) board. This combination has all the same functionality as the L12-I plus USB support, speed control, sensitivity control, position control, and adjustable end limits.

Virtual reality headsets are head-mounted device that provides virtual environment for the wearer. VR headsets are widely used with computer games but they are also used in other applications, including simulators and trainers. The HTC Vive is a virtual reality headset developed by HTC and Valve Corporation. The headset uses "room scale" tracking technology, allowing the user to move in 3D space and use motion-tracked handheld controllers to interact with the environment.

"Dataglove" is an input device for human–computer interaction worn like a glove. Various sensor technologies are used to capture physical data such as bending of fingers. Often a motion tracker, such as a magnetic tracking device or inertial tracking device, is attached to capture the global position/rotation data of the glove. These movements are then interpreted by separate softwares. The VMG 35 Plus™ is a complete haptic glove, this includes 30 bend sensors and 5 vibro-tactile sensors.

The PLATO lenses are constructed with specially designed liquid crystal cells, which are able to change rapidly from transparent (‘shutter open’) to light scattering (‘shutter closed’). In the Open state, looking through the lenses is like looking through clear glass. In the Closed (occluding) state, the spectacle lenses scatter light and thus take on a translucent milky texture, which prevents the subject from perceiving visual information on the other side. The subject’s eye nevertheless remains illuminated and does not have to re-adapt to light when re-opened.

These sensors are used for measuring compressive normal forces (max 440 N). These can be used in studies that involve isometric force production (pressing).

The NI Educational Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Suite (NI ELVIS) is useful for hands-on experience, prototyping. NI ELVIS (II+) features an integrated suite of commonly used instruments in a single compact form factor designed for education.

Vernier Bioinstrumentation Sensor kit contains Analog Proto board connector(s),Blood Pressure Sensor, Hand Dynamometer, Hand grip Heart Rate Monitor, EKG Sensor, Surface Temperature Sensor, Spirometer, among others.

To measure the friction coefficient between finger tip and material we have developed friction measurement system which consists of a Teensy microcontroller, ATI Nano25 and Labview to measure coefficient values.

These linear DC servo motors from Faulhaber MiniMotor, Switzerland are used to build an object whose shape changes while it is being grasped. Each motor is controlled independently, resulting in various shapes. We plan to use this setup to study changes in fingertip force coordination as a result of object shape change.

The 16 bipolar channel EMG acquisition system is built using RHD2216 research quality digital electrophysiology interface chip. This small front end module are capable of acquiring up to 16 EMG channels.

Accelerometer can measure accelerations in 3 independent axes X,Y,Z. The ACL300(accelerometer) will measure both dynamic acceleration (i.e. vibration) and static acceleration (i.e. gravity). They have three separate channels for 3 axes, which can be interfaced with the computer via NI DAQ.

The 8 channel (24-bit) EEG acquisition system is built using ADS1299 research quality Texas Instruments interface chip. This small front end module are capable of acquiring up to 8 EEG channels.

We have recently built a 256 Channel EEG system using the OpenEphys and it can be used to measure the EEG activity by using the wearable cap.

Laser distance sensor (OADM 12U6460/S35A) can measure the change in the displacement with a sub millimeter resolution (0.002 to 0.12mm) and has a range of 16 to 120mm. This sensor can be easily interfaced with the computer using NI DAQ 6255 or NI DAQ 6212.

The TMS320C6678 Multicore Fixed and Floating Point Digital Signal Processor is based on TI's KeyStone multicore architecture. The device supports high-performance signal processing applications such as mission critical, medical imaging, test, and automation.

Weller soldering station with inbuilt temperature controller, Digital Storage Oscilloscope for FFT analysis, Multiple Power supply source and Single board computer (SBC) and other accessories.