3D Shape Perception Through Spatiotemporal Vibrotactile Patterns with Kinesthetic Feedback

Haptic feedback has been employed to enhance shape perception during the grasp interaction for improved immersion and task performance in virtual reality (VR). Although wearable devices offer precise multi-phalangeal haptic feedback, their bulkiness and complexity often hinder practicality. In addition, fingertip-based tactile feedback often limits users from feeling the sequential and continuous sensation across the finger surfaces during power grasp. We present a novel haptic shape rendering method synchronizing spatiotemporal vibrotactile feedback across multiple phalanges with low degrees of freedom (DOF) kinesthetic feedback. We generate diverse vibrotactile patterns by leveraging the funneling illusion and modulating vibration duration during the hand flexion. We carried out two user studies to validate the tendency of shape perception with the given haptic feedback in VR. Results demonstrated consistent shape associations and clear user preferences for specific feedback patterns.