Haptic guidance for improved task performance in steering microparticles with optical tweezers

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 15; no. 18; p. 11616
• Main Authors: Basdogan, Cagatay, Kiraz, Alper, Bukusoglu, Ibrahim, Varol, Aydin, Doğanay, Sultan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 03.09.2007
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.15.011616

We report the manipulation of 4-5 mum diameter polymer microspheres floating in water using optical tweezers (OT) and a haptic device (i.e. force-reflecting robotic arm). Trapped microspheres are steered using the end-effector of a haptic device that is virtually coupled to an XYZ piezo-scanner controlling the movements of the fluid bed. To help with the manipulations, we first calculate a collision-free path for the particle and then display artificial guidance forces to the user through the haptic device to keep him/her on this path during steering. Experiments conducted with 8 subjects show almost two-fold improvements in the average path error and average speed under the guidance of haptic feedback.