Abstract:
A new category of computing devices is emerging: augmented and virtual reality headsets, collectively referred to as extended reality (XR). These devices can alter, augment, or even replace our reality. While these headsets have made impressive strides in audio-visual immersion over the past half-century, XR interactions remain almost completely absent of appropriately expressive tactile sensations. At present, even the most advanced mainstream consumer systems rely on vibrotactile haptic actuators in the controllers, which are inherently limited to clicks and buzzes — an exceedingly limited range of expressivity with which to represent the rich tactile world.

Realizing the holistic promise of XR requires full-body haptic immersion, just as much as it requires full audio-visual immersion. To frame critical design considerations in haptics research, I propose an immersion-practicality tradeoff model. These competing objectives underscore the inherent tension between providing rich sensory feedback (often e.g.. costly, bulky), while maintaining consumer feasibility and usability (e.g., low cost, easy to use). Under this framework, I sought to identify and build Pareto-efficient haptic systems where the haptic approach is aligned with humans’ sensorimotor system. I present three published projects that embody my design approach through tactile haptics to different regions of the body. My proposed future work extends this framework to other major dimensions of haptics — kinesthetics (force feedback) and proprioception — to explore how these principles can generalize. These systems, when combined together, advance the vision of practical, immersive, full-body haptics.

Thesis Committee Members:
Chris Harrison, Chair (HCII)
Jim McCann
Zeynep Temel
Mar Gonzalez-Franco, Google

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