Performance Assessment of Haptic Gloves in VR Training Applications: Implications for Engineering Education

The integration of haptic feedback into Virtual Reality (VR) environments has opened new possibilities for enhancing user immersion, control, and experiential learning. This study presents a performance assessment of two haptic gloves within a custom-developed VR training application, with implications for advancing engineering education. Undergraduate students participated in a structured experimental framework encompassing theoretical conceptualization and practical application phases, using VR simulations to complete predetermined tasks with different haptic gloves. A paired samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in task completion times between Glove A and Glove B, t(31) = 2.43, p = .021, with participants completing tasks significantly faster using Glove B (M = 36.22 sec, SD = 13.84) compared to Glove A (M = 51.63 sec, SD = 28.63). The findings highlight that glove design significantly impacts task efficiency, offering valuable insights for glove selection in VR-based education and training contexts. Additionally, the study emphasizes the dual educational benefits: student developers gained hands-on experience in VR and haptic integration, while user students improved spatial awareness and task coordination. Future work will expand the evaluation to include the Manus Prime 3 and bHaptics TactGlove to provide a comprehensive comparison across multiple glove technologies. These results aim to inform the adoption of haptic technologies for more immersive and effective learning environments in engineering education.