CHAI 3D is an open source set of C++ libraries for computer haptics, visualization and interactive real-time simulation. CHAI 3D supports several commercially-available three-, six- and seven-degree-of-freedom haptic devices, and makes it simple to support new custom force feedback devices. CHAI 3D is especially suitable for education and research purposes, offering a light platform on which extensions can be developed. CHAI 3D's support for multiple haptic devices also makes it easy to send your applications to remote sites that may use different hardware.

In short, CHAI 3D takes an important step toward developer-friendly creation of multimodal virtual worlds, by tightly integrating the haptic and visual representations of objects and by abstracting away the complexities of individual haptic devices.

• Universal haptic device handler
• Virtual haptic device
• omega.x and delta.x device support
• Novint Falcon device support
• Freedom 6 device support
• Phantom devices support
• Template for custom device integration

I/O Boards

• Servo2Go I/O board
• Sensoray 626 I/O board

Timers

• High precision clock (nanosecond)
• Threads

Extensions

• ODE (Open Dynamic Engine)
• GEM (Deformable Models)
• BASS (Audio Library)

General overview

• C++ API
• Full access to source code
• Multi-platform (Windows, Mac OS-X, Linux)

Graphics Rendering

• Open GL
• Dynamic lighting
• 2D and 3D texturing
• Material properties
• GLUT and .NET viewports

Haptic Rendering

• Finger-Proxy model with variable radius
• Potential field models
• Static and dynamic friction models
• Stick-slip, viscous, vibration, magnetic effects

Collision Detection

• AABB models
• Spherical models

File support

• Image files: .BMP .TGA
• Mesh files: .3DS .OBJ