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HaptoRelax: Haptic Feedback for Enhancing Human Touch in VR Relaxation Using SMA

Course: [GCT722] Interactive Haptic Technologies (KAIST)
Role: Developer
Stack: C++, Unity, VR Interaction, Arduino

Abstract

Stress management is a growing concern in modern society and virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a promising tool to alleviate stress. While most VR relaxation applications rely on audio-visual cues, incorporating haptic sensations, particularly gentle human touch, can enhance the immersive experience and effectiveness of stress reduction. This research paper introduces HaptoRelax, a wrist-worn device utilizing shape memory alloys (SMA) to provide soft and smooth tactile feedback on the skin. We used three-shape memory alloy (SMA) springs to generate a gentle repetitive grabbing. Our conducted user study reveals that our haptic device maps to the sensation of wrist grabbing, and can be helpfully applied within VR relaxation scenes.