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Bionics & Cognitive Science Haptics Research

Haptics vs Vision

A substantial body of research has pitted haptics and vision against each other in order to determine which sense dominates, or "captures", the other. Generally vision is reported to be the "superior sense". However, in many of these studies haptics is disadvantaged, either because the task is more "natural" or more suited to vision, or because the haptic task simply does not make best use of the abilities of touch. In an ongoing research programme we are ensuring that the haptic and visual tasks are suitable for their respective senses, and are comparable between the senses.

The Haptics to Vision Translation Program (HVTP) was written to convert a recording of haptic movements into a visual analogue. We have been recording the movements of subjects as they explore two-dimensional raised line drawings with the TDS or the Phantom , or three-dimensional virtual objects with the Phantom. These movements are then shown traced out on a monitor, matching the speed of movement. In both the haptic and vision conditions the subject's task is to identify the stimulus as quickly and accurately as possible.

Ongoing research will compare vision and touch for exploration of three-dimensional virtual shapes.

This short movie file demonstrates the output of the HVTP, showing two of it's principal functions:
1. to create a moving window, the equivalent to moving a 1cm window over the pathway taken by the haptic explorer;
2. to create a stationary window, the equivalent to moving the pathway taken by the haptic explorer behind a 1cm stationary window.

Generally, haptics and vision have been found to be equivalent when used to identify capital letters, and the moving window produces a superior performance compared to the stationary window condition. Further research is planned using three-dimensional virtual objects.

Publications based on research using the HVTP can be found on the Publications web page.

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