User experience and usage scenarios of audio-tactile interaction with virtual objects in a physical environment

Augmented reality (AR) systems enable new user experiences while the user is interacting with virtual objects in the physical space. The virtual objects have mostly been presented visually, overlaid on the physical world. In this paper, we present an explorative user study of a prototype system AHNE with the aim to understand the user experience and usage potential of non-visual audio-tactile augmented reality interactions. The qualitative results reveal that non-visual interaction was experienced confusing at first, but also fun, playful, and exciting. Even though audio feedback clearly dominates the spatial interaction experience, tactile feedback makes the virtual objects feel more concrete. The ideated and evaluated set of 23 usage scenarios includes both game-like and pragmatic application ideas for individual and social usage. The results can be used to inform the design of novel AR applications that utilise human senses beyond vision.