Using Ultrasonic Mid-air Haptic Patterns in Multi-Modal User Experiences

Abstract

Ultrasonic mid-air tactile displays offer a unique combination of high spatial and temporal resolution and can stimulate a wide range of tactile frequencies. Leveraging those features, a new modulation technique producing spatially distributed tactile sensations has recently been introduced. This new approach, referred to as Spatiotemporal Modulation (STM), draws lines, curves and shapes on users’ palm by moving a mid-air tactile point rapidly and repeatedly along the path. STM parameters and their impact on tactile perception are yet to be studied systematically. In this work, we first study how varying the draw frequency and the size of a simple shape affects the participants perception of texture and their emotional responses. In the second part of our study, we used the most salient tactile patterns of the first study to extend the results within a multimodal context. We found that tactile patterns’ perception was consistent within both studies. We also found instances when the tactile patterns could alter the perception of the audio and visual stimuli. Finally, we discuss the benefits of our findings and conclude with implications for future work.