Event-based Transient Visual and Tactile Feedback Produces a Sensation of Impact

Abstract

This paper reports a design of a new haptic feedback technique for desktop applications which creates a sensation of impact with modulated transient visual and tactile feedback. A transient vibration or impulse tactile stimulus was presented when a computer mouse cursor made contact with a virtual object on the screen, with changing the visual motion of the cursor. Two experiments were performed to compare an effect of stimulus combination and find an effective time lag of visuotactile stimuli to generate a clear sensation of impact. Experimental evaluations showed that a sensation of impact was successfully induced by tactile stimuli of either single pulse or damped oscillation while a strong sensation of vibration was not induced, and was induced when tactile stimuli were presented 30-120 ms after the cursor made contact.