Stretchy: Enhancing Object Sensation Through Multisensory Feedback and Muscle Input

Current works on 3D interaction methods mainly focus on rigid object manipulation and selection, while very few have been done on elastic object interaction. Therefore, we suggest a novel interaction method to observe and manipulate virtual fabric in a VR environ-ment. We use multi-sensory pseudo-haptic feedback (a combination of tactile and visual feedback) and muscle strength data (EMG) to perceive the stiffness of the virtual fabric and flexible objects. For demonstration, we make fabric patches with various stiffness, and the stiffness difference can be distinguished. Our system can be implemented in a virtual cloth store to give consumers information about product stiffness and texture.