Pseudo-heaviness during mid-air gestures is tuned to visual speed

Abstract

When the magnitude of visual feedback is reduced while users pick up an object, they tend to feel as if the object is heavier than the actual (pseudo-heaviness). The present study examined whether and how it was possible to give pseudo-heaviness to users who manipulated visual objects using midair gestures. In the experiment, users made a gesture to pinch concentric grating stimuli on display with their fingers and pulled them up. The pull-up gesture caused the dynamic shift of the grating phase. We observed that despite motion direction, the slower the phase shift, the heavier the participant felt the grating. These results indicate that pseudo-heaviness in controlling visual objects by mid-air gestures is tuned to visual speed.