The effect of sound on haptic fidelity perception

Recent hardware and computational advancements are providing the opportunity to develop virtual simulations and serious games with high levels of (visual) fidelity using off-the-shelf consumer-level hardware. However, so far, these applications have generally been restricted to cognitive skills training given the complexities and costs associated with high-end haptic-based rendering inherent in a variety of applications including those related to medical-based technical skills development. In the visual domain, sound has been shown to influence the perception of visual fidelity perception yet little, if any work has investigated the effect of sound on haptic fidelity perception. In this paper, we examine the influence of sound on haptic fidelity perception in a virtual drilling scenario to determine whether the low fidelity haptic feedback associated with lower-end, consumer level haptic devices can be compensated for through the use of sound. Although our results are preliminary, they do indicate that sound can o influence (increase) haptic fidelity perception.