Enhancing the experience of film with a wearable tactile/haptic suit

Abstract This study investigated whether synchronized, full-body pressure feedback from a wearable suit (the “bubble suit”) could enhance audience engagement during film viewing. While vibrotactile haptics have been explored in gaming and Virtual Reality (VR), pressure-based haptics remain unexplored in cinematic contexts. A within-subjects experiment was conducted with 42 participants who viewed two short film clips, one with synchronized pressure feedback delivered via an inflatable wearable suit, and one without. The custom-designed inflatable suit provided pressure across the torso, back, and limbs, controlled by an Arduino system synchronized with on-screen events. After each viewing, participants completed questionnaires measuring immersion, narrative engagement, attention, and realism. Notably, participants’ willingness to pay for the experience more than doubled. The haptic feedback also altered character empathy, shifting viewers’ emotional focus from the protagonists to side character experiencing the haptic-related event. However, the effects varied between participants, influenced by factors such as the suit’s fit and individual sensory interpretation. In conclusion, wearable pressure feedback can significantly enhance the perceived cinematic experience, offering a powerful tool for increasing audience engagement and the perceived value of entertainment. While the findings inform future designs for haptic-enhanced media, key implementation challenges remain, including technical limitations, ergonomic design, and managing individual perceptual differences.