Sampling strategy for ultrasonic mid-air haptics

Mid-air tactile stimulation using ultrasonics has been used in a variety of human computer interfaces in the form of prototypes as well as products. When generating these tactile patterns with mid-air tactile ultrasonic displays, the common approach has been to sample the patterns using the hardware update rate capabilities to their full extent. In the current study we show that the hardware update rate can impact perception, but unexpectedly we find that higher update rates do not improve pattern perception. In a first user study, we highlight the effect of update rate on the perceived strength of a pattern, especially for patterns rendered at slow rate of less than 10 Hz. In a second user study, we identify the evolution of the optimal update rate according to variations in pattern size. Our main results show that update rate should be designated as additional parameter for tactile patterns. We also discuss how the relationships we defined in the current study can be implemented into designer tools so that designers remain oblivious to this additional complexity

Enhancing Ultrasound Haptics with Parametric Audio Effects

Ultrasound haptic devices can create parametric audio as well as contactless haptic feedback. We investigate if multimodal output from these devices can influence the perception of haptic feedback. We used a magnitude estimation experiment to evaluate perceived roughness of an ultrasound haptic pattern. We found that white noise audio from the haptics device increased perceived roughness and pure tones did not, and that lower rendering frequencies may increase perceived roughness. Our results show that multimodal output has the potential to expand the range of sensations that can be presented by an ultrasound haptic device, paving the way to richer mid-air haptic interfaces

HaptiGlow: Helping Users Position their Hands for Better Mid-Air Gestures and Ultrasound Haptic Feedback

We present HaptiGlow, a technique that combines ultrasound haptics with peripheral visual feedback to help users find where to place their hand for improved mid-air interaction. Hand position is important. If a user's hand is poorly placed, input sensors may have difficulty recognising their gestures. Mid-air haptic feedback is also hard to perceive when the hand is in a poor position. Our novel feedback addresses this important usability problem. Our results show the combination of ultrasound haptics and peripheral visuals is effective, with the strengths of each leading to accurate (23mm) and fast (4.6s) guidance in a 3D targeting task. Our technique improves midair interaction by easily helping users find a good hand position

MindTouch: Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Mid-Air Tactile Perception

As we constantly seek to improve and expand upon the capabilities of technology, we frequently wonder whether we use technology to its fullest extent. Studies indicate that increasing our awareness and mindfulness of our senses may lead to a journey of unexplored experiences. In this paper, we focus on the perception of mid-air haptics stimuli and whether it can be improved through mindfulness meditation. We have conducted an experiment with 22 participants given the task to recognize digits 0 to 9 drawn on their palms using a mid-air haptic device under two conditions - with and without prior mindfulness meditation. Results show that for frequencies targeting both Meissner (40 Hz) and Pacinian (200 Hz) receptors, meditation significantly improves performance of the participants, as well as increases their confidence. This suggests that including a short meditation step in haptic user interfaces could lead to improved system performance and user satisfaction

Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2020, held in Leiden, The Netherlands, in September 2020. The 60 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 111 submissions. The were organized in topical sections on haptic science, haptic technology, and haptic applications. This year's focus is on accessibility

空中ジェスチャ・インタラクションにおける触覚提示の高臨場感化および安定化に関する研究

Tohoku University昆陽雅司課

Exploration of mid-air haptics experience design

Ultrasonic Mid-air Haptics (UMH) is a novel technology that uses the mechanical properties of sound waves to create a pressure point in mid-air. This pressure point, called focal point, can slightly bend the skin and be felt in mid-air without any attachment to the body. This thesis focuses on both studying how to integrate this technology with other senses (i.e. vision and audition) and exploring the range of tactile sensations it can provide. The first two projects presented in this document present the integration of ultrasonic mid-air haptics with audio-visual content. The first project describes the process of creating a unique haptic experience that was part of a six-weeks multisensory exhibition in a museum. The second project moved from the museum to a controlled environment and explored the creation of haptic experiences based on physiologic measurements for six short films. Both studies showed the positive value of adding ultrasonic mid-air haptics to traditional media through higher reported arousal and participants’ high enthusiasm for multisensory content. In the two latter projects of this thesis, it was explored how we could extend the range of possible tactile sensations provided by UMHs. We introduced a new technique called Spatio-Temporal Modulation (STM). It enabled the creation of brand-new tactile experiences, including more salient shapes and wider range of textures. We also provided some guidelines on how to control some of the tactile properties of the sensation, including strength,roughness,or regularity. The findings of those four projects contribute to the growing body of knowledge of UMHs. A summary of the key contributions is provided at the end of the thesis as well as several leads for future works