InfinitePaint: Painting in Virtual Reality with Passive Haptics Using Wet Brushes and a Physical Proxy Canvas
Andreas Fender, Thomas Roberts, Tiffany Luong, Christian Holz
Abstract
Digital painting interfaces require an input fidelity that preserves the artistic expression of the user. Drawing tablets allow for precise and low-latency sensing of pen motions and other parameters like pressure to convert them to fully digitized strokes. A drawback is that those interfaces are rigid. While soft brushes can be simulated in software, the haptic sensation of the rigid pen input device is different compared to using a soft wet brush on paper. We present InfinitePaint, a system that supports digital painting in Virtual Reality on real paper with a real wet brush. We use special paper that turns black wherever it comes into contact with water and turns blank again upon drying. A single camera captures those temporary strokes and digitizes them while applying properties like color or other digital effects. We tested our system with artists and compared the subjective experience with a drawing tablet.