User experiences of garment-based dynamic compression for novel haptic applications

Compression is a haptic stimulus used in medical interventions (e.g., compression stockings) and has the potential to be integrated into new research areas (e.g., immersive VR experiences, distributed notification mechanisms), yet remains largely understudied. This work investigates the user experience of compression garment technologies that are dynamic, remotely controllable, and low mass, to better address this research gap. Shape memory alloy-based compression garments, capable of creating spatially- and temporally- dynamic on-body compression, were designed and deployed in a user study (n=17, 8M/9F) to understand the effects of compression, and to draw insights for future compression-based applications. The major takeaways are: (1) importance of and sizing/fit, (2) individual/gender preferences and need for customizability, and (3) the relationship between context-specific stimulation and perception.