Data Presentation with Haptic Glyphs: A Pilot Study

Abstract

This paper describes the feasibility of glyph-based data presentation and discusses related research works. Next, on the basis of research findings, a software application has been designed and developed for multivariate data presentation in a multimodal virtual environment (VE). In a multimodal VE that incorporates a number of senses, i.e., visual, auditory, and touch or haptic, data is tangible along with its visual presentation. Variables are represented as haptic glyphs of different shapes, sizes, and other physical properties such as friction. Audio feedback helps further exploration of the data. The result of this pilot study demonstrates that glyphs can be successfully used for presenting multivariate data in a multimodal VE. This glyph-based multimodal presentation makes the information available to the blind and visually impaired (VI) in a semantic-aware environment. A multimodal VE also enriches the experience of the sighted users.