Force Feedback for Handwriting Remediation

 

Handwriting is taught early in elementary school, and failing to master this skill can lead to cascading problems in subsequent learning and life tasks. When students have difficulty with handwriting, the current intervention is to have them participate in additional tutoring sessions where they repeatedly practice writing the letters. This task quickly gets boring for students. The goal of our project is to create a program that uses a force feedback pen to allow a child to practice handwriting in a fun and stimulating environment. This includes using the force feedback pen to passively guide the child’s hand in correctly creating a letter, as well as utilizing interactive, 3D graphics to create a game atmosphere that encourages the child to use the tool and thus develop his or her handwriting skills.

This work utilizes the Sensable Technologies Phantom™ Omni device. A prototype has been implemented to test the limits and possibilities of the device and to help envision how the final tool might be realized. The prototype graphically renders a letter with an animation of a small fish swimming along the path to show how the letter should be written. Once the student begins to write, the corresponding force-rendered letter prevents him or her from leaving the path. When the letter is completed, an animation is shown to indicate success.