Biomimetic systems attempt to copy the form or the behavior of biological systems to create efficient machines and processes. Since nature has had millions upon millions of years to perfect these systems it is logical to learn from these systems when designing machines and processes. Another way to use the tools that nature has built is to design machines that specifically incorporate a human into the system. These biologically-incorporated systems extend the capabilities of machines by adding a human component or extend the abilities of humans with the assistance of man-made devices. The interfaces that are used when connecting these human and machine systems together are the human senses. These interface systems can truly be called bio-mimetic systems in that they are designed to respond to, or “mimic”, the reactions and sensations of a biological system, namely the human operator. Various systems currently exist that provide information to the human senses of sight and hearing. Audio and video systems have been perfected over many decades so that it is now possible for a user to wear small devices, such as goggles and earphones, which will allow a user to see and hear various forms of information. Systems exist currently and others are being further developed that interface with a third human sense, the sense of touch. These systems are called Haptic Systems or simply Haptics. The inclusion of haptic systems, such as the ones presented in the following sections, allows for the creation of fully immersive environments that can provide a user with the three major inputs of visual, auditory and haptic information. These systems can be used for virtual reality and telepresence applications. The ability to generate visual, auditory and haptic stimuli makes it possible to accurately generate almost any environment that is desired in a believable and immersive manner.

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This article describes the architecture of the «Museum of Pure Form», a virtual reality system where the user can interact, through the senses of touch and sight, with digital models of 3D art forms and sculptures. Two different realizations of «Museum of Pure Form» systems are currently being developed at PERCRO, Pisa, Italy. In one realization “The Museum of Pure Form” is conceived as a system placed inside several museums and art galleries around Europe and made available to people visiting such institutions. In the second realization the system will be placed and tested inside a CAVE environment. Considerations on technological aspects concerning the implementation of a virtual en-vironment endowed with haptic feedback for cultural heritage applications are reported throughout the paper.

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Millions of people in the U.S. currently require rehabilitation therapy due to neurologic injury and disease. In the case of stroke alone, there are approximately 600,000 new survivors each year, and over two million survivors with chronic movement deficits. Recent evidence suggests that intensive therapy improves movement recovery. However, such therapy is expensive because it relies on individualized interaction with rehabilitation therapists. The type and quality of therapy also varies greatly between clinics and therapists. Little technology is available to assist patients in practicing therapy on their own. Therapy techniques that require expert feedback or that incorporate manual manipulation of the patient’s limbs are often inaccessible once formal therapy is discontinued.

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