IMPACT OF VARIABILITY OF HAPTIC FEEDBACK IN VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) DURING TASK PERFORMANCE

Task performance is considered an important emphasis in the world of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). With the emergence of advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), it is important to understand how individuals are able to utilize this tool for productive task performance. Researchers are continuously exploring how to enhance human performance in a digital space (Wang & Jung, 2011). Prior research has demonstrated the role of integrating haptic feedback into a visual interface, with potential benefits in task performance, as well as increased experiences of presence and awareness while completing HCI tasks. Several research studies have been carried out to investigate ways to optimize human performance and richly uncover factors that affect human performance negatively and positively (Asan et al., 2015). Typically, in a VR setting, three primary senses are engaged: visual, auditory, and tactile (haptic). However, there is a gap in the literature regarding how the availability and intensity of haptic feedback through VR controllers affect users during task performance. This research study seeks to understand the cognitive performance of users in VR when exposed to varying levels of haptic feedback via the VR controllers. Results from this research reveal that participants perceived their performance to be higher and frustration to be lower when they were exposed to moderate and consistent availability and intensity of haptic feedback. To enhance VR’s immersion for users, it is essential to comprehend how to engage the human senses to optimize cognitive performance. Overall, the impact of this research study is to add to an existing body of literature in the domain of haptic feedback for extended reality-based experiences.