3D stylus: Difference between revisions
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; Haptic feedback | ; Haptic feedback | ||
: Many devices contain linear resonant | : Many devices contain linear-resonant or rotary vibration motors that buzz when the virtual tip contacts a surface; advanced desktop devices such as the 3D Systems *Touch* add 3-DOF force feedback via motors in a gimbal.<ref name="3DSystemsTouch"/> | ||
; Wireless communication | ; Wireless communication | ||
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== Applications == | == Applications == | ||
* '''Professional CAD & Industrial Design''' – Wacom’s *Pro Pen 3D* and *VR Pen* let engineers sketch surfaces in [[virtual reality]] while retaining tablet-style pressure sensitivity.<ref name="WacomCAD2019"/> | * '''Professional CAD & Industrial Design''' – Wacom’s *Pro Pen 3D* and *VR Pen* let engineers sketch surfaces in [[virtual reality]] while retaining tablet-style pressure sensitivity.<ref name="WacomCAD2019"/> Massless targets high-precision mechanical CAD workflows.<ref name="RoadToVR18"/> | ||
* '''Medical imaging & surgical planning''' – Radiologists and surgeons annotate volumetric CT/MRI data in VR with a stylus; user studies show stylus + controller combinations outperform hand tracking for accurate marking tasks.<ref name="ApplSci23"/> | * '''Medical imaging & surgical planning''' – Radiologists and surgeons annotate volumetric CT/MRI data in VR with a stylus; user studies show stylus + controller combinations outperform hand tracking for accurate marking tasks.<ref name="ApplSci23"/> | ||
* '''Haptic simulation & training''' – 3D Systems *Touch* stylus provides force feedback for dental, | * '''Haptic simulation & training''' – 3D Systems *Touch* stylus provides force feedback for dental, orthopaedic, and robotic-surgery simulators.<ref name="3DSystemsTouch"/> | ||
* '''Gaming & VR art''' – Creative professionals prefer pen-like tools such as Logitech VR Ink or Meta’s MX Ink for apps like Tilt Brush, Quill, or Gravity Sketch.<ref name="CreativeBloq21"/> | * '''Gaming & VR art''' – Creative professionals prefer pen-like tools such as Logitech VR Ink or Meta’s MX Ink for apps like Tilt Brush, Quill, or Gravity Sketch.<ref name="CreativeBloq21"/> | ||
* '''Education & visualization''' – The HP Zvr stereoscopic display (2015) shipped with a tracked stylus so students could “grab” and rotate holographic organs or molecules.<ref name="TheVerge2015"/> | * '''Education & visualization''' – The HP Zvr stereoscopic display (2015) shipped with a tracked stylus so students could “grab” and rotate holographic organs or molecules.<ref name="TheVerge2015"/> | ||
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== 3D stylus in VR and AR == | == 3D stylus in VR and AR == | ||
Within fully immersive [[virtual reality]] and [[augmented reality]] (AR) head-mounted displays, a stylus offers a tangible “pen tip” that affords millimetre-scale accuracy. User studies comparing interaction modalities found that a stylus was the most precise for annotation, whereas hand tracking was the least; pairing a stylus (for pointing) with a traditional controller (for grabbing) yielded the best overall performance.<ref name="ApplSci23"/> | Within fully immersive [[virtual reality]] and [[augmented reality]] (AR) head-mounted displays, a stylus offers a tangible “pen tip” that affords millimetre-scale accuracy. User studies comparing interaction modalities found that a stylus was the most precise for annotation, whereas hand tracking was the least; pairing a stylus (for pointing) with a traditional controller (for grabbing) yielded the best overall performance.<ref name="ApplSci23"/> In AR, a stylus can be used to draw directly onto holographic content—e.g. labelling anatomical structures—which mitigates occlusion problems inherent in finger gestures. | ||
== Notable devices and manufacturers == | == Notable devices and manufacturers == | ||
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== Historical development == | == Historical development == | ||
SensAble’s *Phantom* series (mid-1990s) were among the first commercial 3D styluses with force feedback, later re-branded by 3D Systems. Interest waned during the 2000s consumer-VR drought, but the resurgence of headsets after 2014 spurred renewed development: HP Zvr (2015) demonstrated an early commercial “VR pen,” Logitech and Wacom launched tracked styluses from | SensAble’s *Phantom* series (mid-1990s) were among the first commercial 3D styluses with force feedback, later re-branded by 3D Systems. Interest waned during the 2000s consumer-VR drought, but the resurgence of headsets after 2014 spurred renewed development: HP Zvr (2015) demonstrated an early commercial “VR pen,” Logitech and Wacom launched tracked styluses from 2019 – 2020, and startups like Massless pushed accuracy to sub-millimetre levels.<ref name="RoadToVR18"/> | ||
== Comparison with related devices == | == Comparison with related devices == | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
<references | <references> | ||
<ref name="WacomCAD2019">E. Garcia, “How Wacom enhances product design and CAD,” *Wacom Community* (5 Feb 2019).</ref> | <ref name="WacomCAD2019">E. Garcia, “How Wacom enhances product design and CAD,” *Wacom Community* (5 Feb 2019).</ref> | ||
<ref name="CreativeBloq21">M. Savage, “VR stylus explained: everything you need to know,” *Creative Bloq* (Nov 2021).</ref> | <ref name="CreativeBloq21">M. Savage, “VR stylus explained: everything you need to know,” *Creative Bloq* (Nov 2021).</ref> | ||
<ref name="RoadToVR18">B. Lang, “Hands-on | <ref name="RoadToVR18">B. Lang, “Hands-on: Massless wants to bring high-precision stylus input to VR,” *Road to VR* (24 Mar 2018).</ref> | ||
<ref name="RoadToVR19">B. Lang, “Hands-on | <ref name="RoadToVR19">B. Lang, “Hands-on: Logitech is building the SteamVR stylus that needs to exist,” *Road to VR* (29 May 2019).</ref> | ||
<ref name="RoadToVR20">S. Hayden, “Wacom unveils VR Pen built for ‘the next creative future’,” *Road to VR* (4 Dec 2020).</ref> | <ref name="RoadToVR20">S. Hayden, “Wacom unveils VR Pen built for ‘the next creative future’,” *Road to VR* (4 Dec 2020).</ref> | ||
<ref name="Tomshardware21">R. Alexander, “Massless introduces Massless Pen VR peripheral for 3D modelling,” *Tom’s Hardware* (18 Feb 2021).</ref> | <ref name="Tomshardware21">R. Alexander, “Massless introduces Massless Pen VR peripheral for 3D modelling,” *Tom’s Hardware* (18 Feb 2021).</ref> | ||
<ref name="3DSystemsTouch">3D Systems, “Touch Haptic Device,” product page (accessed 2025 | <ref name="3DSystemsTouch">3D Systems, “Touch Haptic Device,” product page (accessed 30 Apr 2025).</ref> | ||
<ref name="TheVerge2015">J. Kastrenakes, “I poked at a heart inside HP’s virtual reality display,” *The Verge* (5 Jan 2015).</ref> | <ref name="TheVerge2015">J. Kastrenakes, “I poked at a heart inside HP’s virtual reality display,” *The Verge* (5 Jan 2015).</ref> | ||
<ref name="IDSA20">Logitech, “VR Ink Pilot Edition,” *IDSA IDEA Gallery* (2020).</ref> | <ref name="IDSA20">Logitech, “VR Ink Pilot Edition,” *Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) IDEA Gallery* (2020).</ref> | ||
<ref name="ApplSci23">H.-R. Rantamaa et al., “Comparison of a VR stylus with a controller, hand tracking, and a mouse for object manipulation and medical marking tasks in virtual reality,” *Applied Sciences* 13 (4):2251 (2023).</ref> | <ref name="ApplSci23">H.-R. Rantamaa *et al.*, “Comparison of a VR stylus with a controller, hand tracking, and a mouse for object manipulation and medical marking tasks in virtual reality,” *Applied Sciences* 13 (4):2251 (2023).</ref> | ||
<ref name="OVRStylus">B. Jackson, “OVR Stylus – Open-source VR stylus project,” GitHub repository (2020).</ref> | <ref name="OVRStylus">B. Jackson, “OVR Stylus – Open-source VR stylus project,” GitHub repository (2020).</ref> | ||
</references> | |||