Haptic Interactions for Extended Reality

Abstract

This research investigates whether the interaction methods of eXtended Reality (XR) headsets can be improved by using haptic feedback. As a first and most common technique, indirect interactions are considered. Indirect interactions correspond to manipulations of virtual objects from a virtual distance using pre-defined hand gestures. As a second interaction technique, direct interaction (namely Direct Interaction Method (DIM)) has been implemented where the user manipulates objects by virtually touching these with their hands. A third interaction method extends the previous one with haptic feedback (namely Haptic Enhanced Direct Interaction Method (HEDIM)). These 3 methods are compared with each other based on objective and subjective user tests, also taking into account financial considerations. This research concludes that the DIM improves upon the standard indirect method. Additionally, it has been observed that haptic feedback could enhance the DIM in specific situations. Nevertheless, when considering the current financial cost, our subjects were not convinced of the small improvements haptic feedback brings.