Virtual Gravity: Enhancing Weight Sensation in Virtual Reality with Haptic Interfaces

Marta Rózycka, Sindja Lika, Jit Chatterjee, Carlos Rodriguez, Maria Torres Vega

Abstract: Virtual Reality (VR) training offers the possibility of simulating diverse environments and scenarios in a safe setting. One interesting use case is for the training of astronauts, who can use VR to train for demanding space missions. However, experiences where the perception goes beyond the visual, such as for instance the impact of gravity in astronaut training, multi-modality becomes crucial. This work investigates the impact of including haptics, in the form of an exoskeleton, to simulate extremity weight sensations for astronaut training in VR. Focusing on the forearm, we introduce Virtual Gravity, a novel multi-modal (haptic-visual) approach to emulates the gravitational forces in planets. By means of a subjective study, we evaluated the comfort, portability, as well as the overall perception of our solution. Our results reveal that the system effectively simulates weight and different gravitational conditions, enhancing VR immersion through forearm interaction. Moreover, they highlight the impact of multi-modal interactions on enhancing VR experiences. Our codes are available at https://github.com/Jit-INP/virtualGravity.

External IDs:dblp:conf/qomex/RozyckaLCRV25