OsciHead: Simulating Versatile Force Feedback on an HMD by Rendering Various Types of Oscillation

Current haptic devices are usually designed to provide one type of force feedback; however, most VR scenarios require versatile force feedback, which may require the integration of different devices to provide various types of forces. In addition, besides the main haptic effects caused by the forces, multiple types of oscillation may also commonly accompany them, which are crucial for improving VR realism and immersion. Therefore, we simulate versatile force feedback by rendering the corresponding types of oscillation as the effects caused by those forces. We take inertia and impact forces as examples in this paper, and achieve versatility using the proposed device, OsciHead, on a head-mounted display (HMD), instead of integrating different devices. By controlling elastic bands' elasticity and stored power, OsciHead uses two rotatable oscillators on both sides of the HMD, in order to render various multilevel and multidimensional oscillation feedback in 2D translation and 2D rotation directions on a head. In an exploratory study, we explored different scenarios in which multiple types of oscillation could be simulated by OsciHead. We then observed oscillation level distinguishability in two just-noticeable difference (JND) studies, and evaluated the oscillation type recognition rates in a recognition study. Based on the results, we performed a VR study, which verified that the inertia and impact feedback simulated by OsciHead enhances realism and achieves versatility.