Publication
Hand-based Illusions for Haptics in Virtual Reality
Martin Feick
PhD-Thesis, Saarland University, Saarländische Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Saarbrücken, Saarland, 2024.
Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) enables us to dive into artificially generated worlds, creating the illusion of being elsewhere. However, this illusion falls apart when using our hands to interact with objects inside VR because nothing can be physically touched. Haptic feedback is crucial to our everyday interactions in reality, so its sudden absence can disrupt the immersive nature of VR. To address this, a single physical proxy object can approximate virtual objects' properties to form a combined visuo-haptic illusion. We introduce four novel proxy-based approaches that render tactile and kinesthetic haptic feedback for object interactions in VR. To alter proxies' perceived properties, we explore perceptual illusions that visually offset virtual hand interactions from their real-world counterpart. Here, we contribute three novel hand-based illusions that can simulate different haptic effects. However, introducing offsets between what users see and what they feel risks disrupting the VR experience. Therefore, we set out to quantify the undetectable offset for various types of interactions, properties of proxies, and users' virtual representations to understand the techniques' application limits. Finally, we present a method for continuously monitoring and tailoring hand-based illusions to individuals' sensitivity to offsets. Together, this thesis advances the field of haptics for hand-based object interactions in VR.