Evaluation of human-machine interfaces with varying haptic fidelity levels in AR/VR applications

Abstract

This thesis evaluates how varying haptic fidelity levels shape the user experience and performance in gesture-based touchscreen interactions conducted in immersive VR. A between-subjects design compared the four conditions: a benchmark of real-world tablet touchscreen and three VR configurations, no haptic fidelity (hand tracking only), low haptic fidelity (vibrotactile gloves), and high haptic fidelity (tactile + force feedback). The participants completed touchscreen tasks (tap, swipe, pan, pinch) and a combinational task while subjective outcomes (presence, embodiment, and system usability) and objective performance metrics were recorded. The study answers three questions: (i) whether haptic fidelity alters perceived experience, (ii) how fidelity influences task performance, and (iii) which gestures are most sensitive to the haptic fidelity. The results show that perceived metrics were indistinguishable across the three haptic fidelity conditions, suggesting high quality consistent visuals/interactions dominated over the incremental in the touch cues richness at the fidelities tested.