Virtual climbing: An immersive upslope walking system using passive haptics

摘要

Background In virtual environments(VEs),users can explore a large virtual scene through the viewpoint operation of a head-mounted display(HMD)and movement gains combined with redirected walking technology.The existing redirection methods and viewpoint operations are effective in the horizontal direction;however,they cannot help participants experience immersion in the vertical direction.To improve the immersion of upslope walking,this study presents a virtual climbing system based on passive haptics.Methods This virtual climbing system uses the tactile feedback provided by sponges,a commonly used flexible material,to simulate the tactile sense of a user's soles.In addition,the visual stimulus of the HMD,the tactile feedback of the flexible material,and the operation of the user's walking in a VE combined with redirection technology are all adopted to enhance the user's perception in a VE.In the experiments,a physical space with a hard-flat floor and three types of sponges with thicknesses of 3,5,and 8cm were utilized.Results We recruited 40 volunteers to conduct these experiments,and the results showed that a thicker flexible material increases the difficulty for users to roam and walk within a certain range.Conclusion The virtual climbing system can enhance users'perception of upslope walking in a VE.