Enhancing Localization Performance with Extended Funneling Vibrotactile Feedback

This study explores the conventional ‘funneling’ method by introducing two extra locations beyond the virtual reality (VR) controller boundaries, terming it the extended funneling technique. Thirty-two participants engaged in a localization task, with their responses recorded using eye-tracking technology. They were tasked with localizing a virtual ping-pong ball as it bounced both within and outside their virtual hands on a virtual board. Both the experimental and control groups received simultaneous spatial audio and vibrotactile feedback. The experimental group received vibrotactile feedback with extended funneling, while the control group received vibrotactile feedback without funneling for comparison. The results indicate that the experimental group, benefiting from the extended funneling technique, demonstrated a significantly higher accuracy rate (41.79%) in localizing audio–vibrotactile stimuli compared to the control group (28.21%). No significant differences emerged in embodiment or workload scores. These findings highlight the effectiveness of extended funneling for enhancing the localization of sensory stimuli in VR.