Dual Haptic Feedback Enhancing Virtual Needle Insertion Experience: Design and Evaluation

This study examined the impact of adding vibrotactile feedback to existing force feedback in a VR-Haptic needle insertion simulation. A new programmable tactile feedback system using direct digital synthesis (DDS) to drive LRA and piezo actuators was designed and integrated into the VR needle simulation. A user study measured needle insertion performance, usability, and user preferences for realistic vein insertion. Results showed that vibrotactile feedback (via piezo and LRA) combined with force feedback improved needle insertion performance over LRA and realism over Force Feedback alone. Participants preferred the combination of force and vibrotactile feedback. While vibrotactile feedback cannot replace force feedback, it serves as a valuable supplemental cue, enhancing overall realism. This suggests that dual-modal haptic feedback, combining force (kinesthetic) and tactile (cutaneous) cues, can address the limitations of single-modal force feedback.