SpinTexture: Exploring Scanning Realism From Concentric to Uni-Directional Slip Feedback Using a Spinning Textured...

In providing a realistic texture scanning sensation in VR, traditional haptic devices have mainly provided unidirectional skin-slip feedback using bulky actuation systems. Recently, concentric rotational feedback using a fingertip-sized contactor was proposed to address the bulkiness issue with plausible scanning realism, but its scanning experience has not yet been rigorously compared to that of conventional unidirectional feedback. Therefore, we investigated whether concentric rotation of textures can yield comparable scanning realism to unidirectional skin-slip feedback on the fingertip. We designed a custom haptic device capable of adjusting the distance between the center of the fingerpad and the center of a textured disk (center distance), while synchronizing the speeds of disk rotation and users' scanning motion. Throughout three user studies using sandpaper and silk textures, we validated that variations in the radial distance of finger contact from the disk's rotation center did not significantly impact scanning realism in VR. These findings highlight the feasibility of fingertip-sized concentric feedback and suggest its potential applicability to other haptic devices, particularly where a compact form factor is desired.