ppreciation of three-dimensional objects, where full comprehension and understanding rely on the sense of touch as well as vision. Haptic interfaces will allow fuller appreciation of three-dimensional objects without jeopardizing conservation standards. Our goal is to assist museums, research institutes and other conservators of priceless objects in providing the public with a vehicle for object exploration, in a modality that could not otherwise be permitted. Our initial application will be to a wing of the virtual museum focusing on examples of the decorative arts: the Fisher Gallery's collection of teapots. The collection is comprised of 150 teapots from all over the world. It was a gift to USC in memory of the late Patricia Daugherty Narramore by her husband Roth Narramore. The Narramores, USC alumni, collected the pots on their many domestic and international journeys. Some items are by local artists, others by artists and makers from other countries, including China, Indonesia, Canada, Japan, Brazil, England, Portugal, Morroco, and Sweden. Materials used to make the pots range from porcelain and clay to wicker and metal. The teapots are ideal candidates for haptic exploration, not only for their varied shapes but also for theirunusual textures and surface decoration. Figure 1. Teapots from the Fisher Gallery's Narramore CollectionHaptics for the MuseumHaptics refers to the modality of touch and the associated sensory feedback. Haptics researchers are interested in developing, testing, and refining tactile and force feedback devices that allow users to manipulate and "feel" virtual objects with respect to such features as shape, temperature, weight and surface texture (Basdogan, Ho, Slater, and Srinavasan, 1998; Bekey, 1996; Burdea, 1996; Brown & Colgate, 1994; Buttolo, Oboe, Hannaford & McNeely, 1996; Dinsmore, Langrana, Burdea, and Ladeji, 1997; Geiss, Evers, & Meinzer, 1998; Ikei, Wakamatsu, & Fukuda, 1997; Liu, Iberall, & Bekey...
