Enhancing Proxy-Based Haptics in Virtual Reality

Rich haptic sensations in interactive virtual reality (VR) applications support immersive experiences. This position paper outlines my research efforts aiming to bring enhanced haptic interactions to VR users. Leveraging the highly realistic haptic feedback provided by real, physical proxy objects, I present two orthogonal research directions attempting to overcome the central drawbacks of conventional passive haptics. The first research direction leverages physical manipulations to enhance scalability through reusable yet low-complexity dynamic passive haptic proxy objects. Orthogonal to this, I explore hand redirection techniques in a second, more software-focused research direction based on virtual manipulations. In a concluding section, this position paper outlines how both approaches could be combined to further enhance haptics in VR.