SkinSpline: A Body-Attached Skeleton-Supported Haptic Interface for Continuous Skin Deformation through Physical Interpolation

Abstract

We present SkinSpline, a body-attached skeleton-supported haptic interface that renders continuous skin deformation through physical interpolation of sparse mechanical actuation. SkinSpline combines a low-resolution array of rack-and-pinion linear actuators with an elastic interlocking skeleton that transforms discrete actuator motions into smooth surface deformation, enabling continuous cutaneous feedback without dense actuator arrays. The system includes a modular hardware architecture, a configurable control pipeline, and a visual interface supporting real-time configuration and actuation. We demonstrate SkinSpline through multiple scenarios, including wave rendering, video-synchronized rhythmic touch, visually driven water-wave feedback in VR, and sensor-based remote touch reproduction. SkinSpline explores an alternative approach to continuous on-body haptic rendering by leveraging structural coupling between sparse actuation and deformable surfaces.

arXiv comment4 pages. To appear in the Proceedings of the 2026 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers (ISWC '26), October 11--15, 2026, Shanghai, China