Pseudo-haptic feedback by cross-modal perception of auditory stimuli

Abstract

There has been a boom in virtual reality (VR) in recent years, and it is an area of technology that is rapidly developing. VR tends to incorporate audio and video feedback, and other feedback can be experienced through haptic technology, which is a form of technology that can create the experience of touch using forces, vibrations or motions. Dr Musashi Nakajima is a researcher based in the Department of Interactive Media at the Tokyo Polytechnic University, Japan, whose research surrounds the phenomenon of pseudo-haptics. Nakajima and his team are exploring how this can be used to enrich VR experiences, with a particular focus on auditory stimulation. The idea is that the VR experience can be enriched without the need to attach external devices to the body.