Potentiometers, a form of variable resistor, are an extremely common way to change a number. This resistor resists!

This was a very quick prototype, using found materials from the RCA studio. I hadn’t planned on spending the day there, so only had my laptop and an Arduino from my locker.

Using a servo motor as a brake, the amount of resistance can be programmed according to scale of numbers being changed, providing haptic feedback. Here it is programmed with a basic curve so the further the pot is turned clockwise, the higher the resulting value, and the higher the corresponding friction.

A basic curve, friction increasing with level

While the previous example could be achieved mechanically, with the brake being computer controlled, any arbitrary curve can be controlled and felt.

An arbitrary curve

With a much steeper curve, it can be used instead to find important values through feeling.

Finding the peak haptically

In the context of music, the intensity of an effect can be felt, requiring greater force for greater effect. As with acoustic instruments, if you want your guitar to sound louder, you have to hit it harder. This creates a more natural relationship between our actions and resulting output. Author & Punisher does this to great effect with his interfaces.

Feeling the intensity of audio effects