Vibrotactile feedback models to explore virtual reality without going round in circles

We propose two navigation metaphors based on a vibrotactile glove allowing semi-guided navigation in virtual environments. The objective is to allow a user who is immersed in a large virtual environment in the first person to be able to discover and explore it while orienting him towards a goal. This is a mix between two navigation modes: exploration and naïve search. This haptic modality allows the user to be oriented while leaving the visual and audio channels free to interact with the environment. The first metaphor proposes to orient the user into4 directions in relation to his/her current orientation and position. The second metaphor implements the idea of the “hot and cold” game as if the goal to be reached hides an object to be found. Both metaphors were implemented and tested with 6 users each. A post questionnaire was then used to collect their feedback and analyse the potential of the two semi-free navigation metaphors.