Good vibrations: Asymmetric vibrations for directional haptic cues

In this paper we present a new concept for haptic guidance in multiple dimensions, in the form of asymmetric vibrations. We show that by adding asymmetry, vibrations from a single source can, like continuous forces, provide effective, high-resolution directional haptic cues in multiple dimensions. Unlike feedback via continuous forces, vibrations can be generated in an almost arbitrarily small workspace. After describing the concept in detail, we describe a user study that assesses the effects of such vibrations - applied to subjects´ hands - on their ability to distinguish between different directions. The results indicate that asymmetric vibrations can provide accurate directional haptic feedback.