Force vs. Illusion: Realism, Cost, and Satisfaction

This research investigates the realism of virtual touch through haptic devices, comparing high-fidelity haptic feedback (force-based) with pseudo-haptics (visual illusions of touch) in the context of training. This preliminary study involves the design and development of a virtual reality (VR) prototype, and an experimental evaluation in which participants performed an object manipulation task under two conditions (force feedback and visuo-haptics feedback) to assess weight estimation and self-performance. Results show that haptic feedback enhances realism and presence in VR, but pseudo-haptic feedback offers a cost-effective alternative for less precision-critical tasks, with potential for refinement.