HapticPole: Running Navigation Through Skin Drag and Shape Change

Abstract

Trail running is a challenging type of running on unpaved ground, including rocks, pebbles, and dirt with elevation changes, that is becoming ever more popular. Trail runners encounter risks of falling, rely on more muscle groups to balance, and require awareness and attention to foot placement. Current navigational aids take their eyes away from the trail, forcing them to stop to read a map, or occupy the auditory channel, which could otherwise act as an important mode of hazard detection outside the field of view. We propose HapticPole, a prototype that is designed to transmit information through shape change and skindrag. The 3D printed prototype performs a set of tactile interaction patterns for navigational instructions as will be defined in an elicitation study.