Open AccessExploring Crossmodal Interaction of Tactile and Visual Cues on Temperature Perception in Virtual Reality: a Preliminary Study
Author(s) -
Clémentine Helfenstein-Didier,
Amira Dhouib,
Florent Favre,
Jonathan Pascal,
Patrick Baert
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
DOI - 10.5753/sensoryx.2021.15684
Subject(s) - virtual reality , perception , crossmodal , immersion (mathematics) , sensory cue , computer science , thermal sensation , sensation , visualization , projector , human–computer interaction , visual perception , stimulus modality , simulation , computer vision , artificial intelligence , cognitive psychology , psychology , thermal comfort , physics , pure mathematics , thermodynamics , mathematics , neuroscience
Thanks to the digital revolution, virtual reality (VR) has getting popularity due to its capacity to immerse users into virtual environments (VEs). VEs are typically limited to visual and auditory cues; however, recent results show that multiple sensory modalities increase the user’s immersion. In this study, an experimental protocol is proposed to recreate multiple tactile, in particular thermal, sensations in VR. The aim is twofold: (1) studying the performance of different devices for creating warm and cold sensations with regards to their efficiency and acoustic disturbance; and (2) investigating the interdependency between visual and tactile stimuli in the perception of temperature. 14 participants performed two experimental studies. Our results show no acoustic disturbance of the materials used. Spot projector is more efficient than fan heater to create a warm sensation; fan + water spray is more efficient than fan alone to create cold sensation. Moreover, no significant contribution of visual cue on the thermal perception was found except for the extremely cold simulation (snow visualization and thermal stimulation performed with fan + water spray).