Natural and hybrid bimanual interaction for virtual assembly tasks

This paper focuses on the simulation of bimanual assembly/disassembly operations for training or product design applications. Most assembly applications have been limited to simulate only unimanual tasks or bimanual tasks with one hand. However, recent research has introduced the use of two haptic devices for bimanual assembly. We propose a more natural and low-cost bimanual interaction than existing ones based on Markerless motion capture (Mocap) systems. Specifically, this paper presents two interactions based on a Markerless Mocap technology and one interaction based on combining Markerless Mocap technology with haptic technology. A set of experiments following a within-subjects design have been implemented to test the usability of the proposed interfaces. The Markerless Mocap-based interactions were validated with respect to two-haptic-based interactions, as the latter has been successfully integrated into bimanual assembly simulators. The pure Markerless Mocap interaction proved to be either the most or least efficient depending on the configuration (with 2D or 3D tracking, respectively). Usability results among the proposed interactions and the two-haptic based interaction showed no significant differences. These results suggest that Markerless Mocap or hybrid interactions are valid solutions for simulating bimanual assembly tasks when the precision of the motion is not critical. The decision on which technology to use should depend on the trade-off between the precision requested to simulate the task, the cost, and inner features of the technology.