Developing Adaptive Haptic Feedback for Enhanced Interaction in XR
Problem Statement
While XR technologies have become increasingly immersive through high-quality visuals and audio, haptic feedback remains underexplored. Current haptic systems provide generic vibration cues, regardless of user posture (standing, sitting, walking), interaction type (selection, manipulation), or virtual context (touching, boundary crossing, object weight).
This limits user presence, realism, and comfort. For example, when users approach a virtual boundary, haptic cues could dynamically increase in intensity or frequency. Similarly, vibrations could encode object weight or material, enhancing the perception of interaction.
This project aims to explore which types of haptic feedback design most effectively enhance user experience and presence across different XR contexts.
Task
Design a system that delivers context-aware haptic feedback. The system should support multiple types of interactions (e.g., object selection, manipulation, or boundary awareness) and dynamically adjust vibration patterns based on environmental or task context.
Example implementations may include (for example, you may select one of these to implement):
- A vibration feedback vest or controller that varies intensity or frequency based on proximity to virtual objects or boundaries.
- Feedback patterns that simulate object properties, such as weight or texture.
- Comparative testing across different setups (standing, sitting, walking) or device types (vest vs. controller).
Work:
- Theory: 20%
- Programming: 60%
- Writing: 20%
Contact:
Gwen Qin (gwen.qin@utwente.nl)