Proposal and Fundamental Evaluation of a Hand Posture Guidance Method Using Air-Jet-Based Force Feedback

In the context of preserving traditional performing arts and facilitating efficient motor skill acquisition, there is a need to develop posture guidance methods. Traditionally, visual imitation and verbal instruction have been the primary means of guidance; however, haptic feedback is considered particularly effective for posture instruction and form correction, as it can directly convey movement nuances that are difficult to communicate through visual or auditory channels alone. Although various haptic information transmission devices have been developed, they often present issues such as discomfort caused by reaction force support structures or restrictions on joint range of motion. To address these limitations, we focused on haptic feedback using air jets. Air jets can present forces in arbitrary directions relative to the body part on which the nozzle is mounted, and the approach can be extended to the entire body, enabling posture guidance even for joints involved in complex movements. In this study, we proposed and developed a haptic feedback device for guiding whole-body posture. We demonstrated that the device can provide effective posture guidance and clarified the influence of the frequency characteristics of the presented haptic feedback. Furthermore, we experimentally demonstrated that the system enables complex, multi-joint, and large-range posture guidance.