Comparing force magnitudes by means of vibro-tactile, auditory, and visual feedback

The objective of this research was to study; the suitability a multi-modal sensory substitution for force- feedback.. This substitution is appealing because sound force feedback requires large, heavy, and expensive equipment. In a series of experiments we investigated the substitution of force in judging objects properties related to the kinesthetic perception. "Forces" of varying strength were presented by vibro-tactile, visual, or auditiory feedback. or combinations thereof We tested the suitability of substitutes in two manipulation experiments: in the first, the participant had to Judge the "weight " of cubes relative to each other; in the second, the participant had to judge the amount of force necessary to move a brick due to frictional resistance. The trials were performed using a partially immersive desktop virtual reality system and a CyberTouch data glove that provides vibro-tactile feedback. Results show that just one substitute is sufficient to successfully complete the task. However, the task performance in terms of correct discrimination and time, improved when a combination of substituting stimuli was presented.