Pseudo-haptic Perception in Smartphones Graphical Interfaces: A Case Study

Human-computer interaction is a characteristic that strongly influences the user experience in computer systems, especially Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. The ability to perform tasks using various human sensory channels (e.g., vision, hearing and touch) can increase the efficiency of these systems. The term pseudo-haptic is used to describe haptic effects (for example, stiffness and viscosity) perceived in touch interaction without actuators. Such effects are generated by visual changes that can improve the user experience. Pseudo-haptic interaction can be created on devices, such as smartphones, with graphical interfaces and touch screens. This paper presents an experiment that uses six types of materials (real and virtual) to check the perception and measure the level of perception of users in relation to the pseudo-haptic effect of stiffness, when the task of pressing the material is performed. A comparison of the perception of each participant in relation to virtual materials was also performed when the effect is applied alone and when it is combined with the device’s vibration motor. The results showed that the pseudo-haptic effects are perceived by the participants and in most materials the level of stiffness is similar to that of real materials. The use of the vibration feature combined with the pseudo-haptic approach can mitigate the differences in perception between real and virtual materials.