Virtual collision notification

Abstract

Virtual collisions are reportedly an important part of creating effective experiences of virtual environments. Although they are considered vital, collision responses for travel in a virtual environment are not well understood. The effectivity of methods for notifying users of collisions has not been explored in the context of travel and the methods used are often not even reported. We present novel notification methods, based on haptic feedback via an output device embedded in the floor of our display and an initial study that compares nine notification methods. In a comparative study, our haptic floor feedback methods were preferred, followed by a thump sound and a wand device rumble. The results indicate that methods that are context appropriate, e.g. haptic responses and audio cues similar to real collisions with the object, are clearly preferable for realistic impressions of a world and of collisions.