Evaluating the Haptic Touchscreen Experience in VR

Virtual Reality (VR) systems are increasingly integrating haptic feedback to increase the level of immersion in virtual environments. This study is designed to investigate the impact of varying fidelity levels on the user experience when interacting with a tablet touchscreen User Interface (UI) in a virtual environment. Participants take part in touchscreen gesture-based tasks in different haptic fidelity levels, including no gloves, low haptic fidelity vibrotactile gloves, high haptic fidelity pneumatic gloves, and a real-world control condition. This study was designed to measure the user experience, which includes presence, embodiment, and system usability using qualitative surveys along with quantitative performance metrics. This study aims to understand how haptic feedback impacts the user experience to facilitate more informed employment of VR technology in training, simulation, and rapid prototyping.