Electric-Feel: Sensory Substitution System
Description
Most prosthetic limbs are open-loop control systems lacking tactile information. This absence of feedback forces users to rely solely on visual cues, resulting in imprecise force modulation and a cognitive disconnect from the device. Electric Feel implements a closed-loop haptic feedback system via non-invasive sensory substitution. The architecture comprises (1) Tactile Sensing Node (Signal Acquisition) and (2) Tactile Encoding Node (Haptic Feedback): 1. Reconstructs 3-DOF force vectors by monitoring magnetic flux density perturbations within a soft elastomeric skin. 2. Encodes force magnitude and location data into spatiotemporal vibration patterns, enabling intuitive cortical remapping of prosthetic sensation. In the context of the Doctor Octopus Initiative, we used this system to gather force information from the robotic arm and close the loop with haptic feedback on the user's hand. Team: Alex Wong, Basil Chirayil, Sanjana Tawre, Sidd Mishra
Gallery
Real-time visualization of our hypersensitive tactile sensors
Fully working system: tactile sensor exoskeleton and wirelessly controlled actuators
Novel sensing modality: custom magnetometer array PCBs under a magnet-embedded elastomer
Actuator control board with low-side switching MOSFETs connected to haptic motors
Sensor PCB and layout
Debugging I2C bit addresses
Actuator control board and layout