3D Tangible Display with a High-Speed Stiffness-Variable Jamming Module
Beyond Sight: Awakening Art through Haptic Feedback

ICRA 2025 Arts in Robotics
21 May 2:00-6:00 PM (Room 101A, R25 Booth)

Chanyoung Ahn1*, Jaesung Lee1*, Donghyun Hwang1
1KIST, *all authors contributed equally
Poster Video

TL;DR:

We present a compact, standalone system that fuses visual motion with dynamic tactile feedback, enabling audiences to interactively explore changes in stiffness and form—drawing inspiration from the traditional Korean mask, Hahoetal.
More than preserving tradition, our goal is to reimagine it as a dialogue between human and art through touch, movement, and sound.

Abstract

Multisensory integration, particularly through visual and tactile feedback, plays a crucial role in enhancing audience engagement with artworks. Although recent research has increasingly explored tactile experiences in art, existing systems often lack real-time variable stiffness modulation and depend on bulky mechanical infrastructures.

In this work, we propose a novel tangible display based on a magnetic jamming mechanism, enabling real-time, low-noise, and low-voltage stiffness modulation integrated into traditional sculptural artworks.

Our system combines visual motion and dynamic tactile feedback within a compact standalone module, allowing audiences to interactively experience variations in the rigidity and form of features such as those found in the traditional Korean mask Hahoetal.

This approach offers a new paradigm for interactive art, enabling more immersive, multisensory engagement through the fusion of cultural artifacts and modern technology.

Introduction

Traditional sculptures are typically visual and passive—something you simply observe. In this project, we combine Korean traditional masks with tactile technology to propose a new way of experiencing art—through touch, sound, and real-time interaction.


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Instead of just looking at art, we invite you to feel it, listen to it, and actively engage with it.

Korean Traditional Heritage

Talchum, the Korean traditional mask dance, is a centuries-old art form. It reflects humor, resistance, and communal spirit, and was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022.




Concept and Design


design-1

At the prime of our system is a magnetic particle jamming mechanism that controls stiffness. Under unjammed conditions, the nose and cheeks are soft and deformable.


Lightweight

Jamming Mechanism

Magnetic Jamming Mechanism

When current flows through the electromagnet, the soft magnetic particles attract each other, rapidly increasing the stiffness and preserving the deformed shape. The module is compact and lightweight, making it easy to integrate into the traditional Hahoetal mask structure, which is finished with real Hanji paper.


design-1


Try interacting with our magnetic jamming CAD model.
Drag to explore and enter VR mode!







User Interaction Flow




When a visitor approaches, an ultrasonic distance sensor detects their presence, triggering the jaw movement and voice interaction. The mask invites the viewer to touch its face. At first, the nose and cheeks are soft and deformable. After a few seconds, the stiffness increases and the shape becomes fixed. This interaction provides real-time tactile feedback, allowing users to shape, feel, and co-create the artwork.



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Conclusion

We don't see this as just an interactive device. It's a reinterpretation of Talchum, Korea's traditional mask dance—blending heritage with responsive, multisensory technology. Here, the audience becomes an active participant—not just seeing the artwork, but touching, shaping, and hearing it respond.



BibTeX

@inproceedings{
      ahn2025Interactive,
      title={Interactive 3D Tangible Display with a High-Speed Stiffness-Variable Jamming Module},
      author={Chanyoung Ahn and Jaesung Lee and Donghyun Hwang},
      booktitle={ICRA 2025 Arts in Robotics},
      year={2025},
      }

Affiliations

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