Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) incorporating tangibles are becoming more accessible. The success of applications combining 3D printed tangibles and VR often depends on how accurately size is perceived. Research has shown that visuo-haptic perceptual information is important in the perception of size. However, it is unclear how these sensory-perceptual channels are affected by immersive virtual environments that incorporate tangible objects. Towards understanding the effects of different sensory information channels in the near field size perception of tangibles of graspable sizes in IVEs, we conducted a between-subjects study evaluating the accuracy of size perception across three experimental conditions (Vision-only, Haptics-only, Vision and Haptics). We found that overall, participants consistently over-estimated the size of the dials regardless of the type of perceptual information that was presented. Participants in the haptics only condition overestimated diameters to a larger degree as compared to other conditions. Participants were most accurate in the vision only condition and least accurate in the haptics only condition. Our results also revealed that increased efficiency in reporting size over time was most pronounced in the visuo- haptic condition.
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Perception of and Response to a Haptic Device as a Function of Signal Complexity
Haptics devices have been developed in a wide range
of form factors, actuation methods, and degrees of freedom, often
with the goal of communicating information. While work has
investigated the maximum rate and quantity of information that
can be transferred through haptics, these measures often do not
inform how humans will use the devices. In this work, we measure
the differences between perception and use as it relates to signal
complexity. Using an inflatable soft haptic display with four
independently actuated pouches, we provide navigation directions
to participants. The haptic device operates in three modalities,
in increasing order of signal complexity: Cardinal, Ordinal,
and Continuous. We first measure participants’ accuracy in
perceiving continuous signals generated by the device, showing
average errors below 5 deg. Participants then used the haptic
device in each operating mode to guide an object towards
a target in a 2-dimensional plane. Our results indicate that
human’s use of haptic signals often lags significantly behind the
displayed signal and is less accurate than their static perception.
Additionally signal complexity was correlated with path efficiency
but inversely correlated with movement speed, showing that even
simple design changes create complex tradeoffs.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2129155
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10434016
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- IEEE World Haptics Conference
- ISSN:
- 2835-9518
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1-7
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Conference Paper:
- The DOI is not currently available.
