## 6 Conclusions  
Approaches to research in the field of cultural heritage preservation have been multilateral, ranging from simple 3D reconstructions of artifacts to demonstrating the functionality of certain equipment, weapons, and tools, and creating virtual museums, and communication interfaces, relying heavily on virtual reality technologies. In this paper, we proposed, designed, and developed a planar mechanism, with a similar operation to a classic saw, capable of generating a haptic reaction at the level of the handle. The characteristics of this mechanism were estimated using a real saw in the wood-cutting process: the stroke and the trajectory of the handle were determined, the reactions felt by the operator were measured. These data became the initial data for the design of the haptic mechanism. The multi-bar mechanism built for this application is based on two revolute joints driven by electric motors whose rotation angles are measured in real time by specialized encoders. The connection of the motors and the encoders was made using a development board (Raspberry) and the programming and control were performed in the Matlab/Simulink software. Adjustments were made to obtain a haptic reaction as close to reality as possible, after which several attempts were made in order to estimate the validity of this type of system. A virtual environment was developed that contains replicas of the main elements involved in the cutting operation with the classic saw: sawbuck, log, saw, and the operator's hand. The movements of the saw in the operation of cutting the log in the virtual environment are connected in real time to the movements performed by the operator on the haptic mechanism. The user feels a resistant force through the handle of the mechanism, depending on the initial settings of the system, which simulates the cutting force, as well as a small vibration that simulates the vibrations generated by the teeth of the saw in operation. In order to validate the concept of using an ancient saw in VR, two professional carpenters were consulted to give their opinions on the operation of the system. A user study was carried out to demonstrate the functionality of the concept and to investigate the level of agreement of the proposed haptic system. Analyzing all the statements obtained in the user study, we can conclude that users generally had a good experience with the haptic device and would like to use it again in the future. Further research can be conducted on enhancing the immersion on the visual and auditory levels. Thus, in order to improve the quality of users' perceptions, we want to expand this project by creating a complex virtual environment that includes many more objects in the virtual scene (e.g., workshop equipped with several benches, several characters), as well as the use of 3D visualization devices (either 3D glasses or the CAVE system) and the inclusion of sound in the scene. This virtual scene can be expanded by adding new haptic devices developed by us or purchased from the market that will simulate the operation of other hand tools in the workshop. Based on the results obtained, from the point of view of the quality of the equipment and the operating characteristics obtained, but also from the point of view of the perception of the users who tested it, we can say that this type of haptic system can be used successfully in the field to simulate the functioning of artifacts, and can give another dimension to the perception of cultural heritage elements. **Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, C.A. ; methodology, S.B. ; software, C.A. ; validation, C.A. and S.B. ; investigation, S.B. ; resources, S.B. ; writing--review and editing, S.B. ; visualization, C.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. **Funding:** This research received no external funding. **Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable. **Informed Consent Statement:** Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.