Haptic Tracing: A new paradigm for spatialized Haptic rendering

Abstract: Haptic technology enhances interactive experiences by providing force and tactile feedback, improving user performance and immersion. However, despite advancements, creating tactile experiences still remains challenging due to device diversity and complexity. Most available haptic frameworks rely on trigger-based or event-based systems, and disregard the information of the 3D scene to render haptic information. This paper introduces Haptic Tracing, a novel method for spatial haptic rendering that simplifies the creation of interactive haptic experiences without relying on physical simulations. It uses concepts from visual and audio rendering to model and propagate haptic information through a 3D scene. The paper also describes how our proposed haptic rendering method can be used to create a vibrotactile rendering system, enabling the creation of perceptually coherent and dynamic haptic interactions. Finally, the paper discusses a user study that explores the role of the haptic propagation and multi-actuator rendering on the users' haptic experience. The results show that our approach significantly enhances the realism and the expressivity of the haptic feedback, showcasing its potential for developing more complex and realistic haptic experiences.