Navigating with Haptic Gloves: Investigating Strategies for Horizontal and Vertical Movement Guidance

TL;DR

The paper investigates vibrotactile haptic guidance for peripersonal navigation across horizontal and vertical layouts using a four-tactor glove. It systematically evaluates guidance approach (two-tactor vs worst-axis first), guidance metaphor (push vs pull), and distance cues (linear vs zone), reporting task time, trajectory length, and path efficiency alongside usability. Key findings show that worst-axis-first guidance and the pull metaphor markedly improve performance in both orientations, particularly on horizontal layouts, while distance-cue intensity has limited impact and sex differences emerge in performance and frustration levels. These results inform the design of haptic gloves for visually impaired users and rehabilitation contexts, with potential extensions to AR/VR navigation and real-world targets.

Abstract

Navigating peripersonal space requires reaching targets in both horizontal (e.g., desks) and vertical (e.g., shelves) layouts with high precision. We developed a haptic glove to aid peri-personal target navigation and investigated the effectiveness of different feedback delivery methods. Twenty-two participants completed target navigation tasks under various conditions, including scene layout (horizontal or vertical), guidance approach (two-tactor or worst-axis first), guidance metaphor (push or pull), and intensity mode (linear or zone) for conveying distance cues. Task completion time, hand trajectory distance, and the percentage of hand trajectory in a critical area were measured as performance outcomes, along with subjective feedback. Participants achieved significantly faster task completion times and covered less hand trajectory distance in the horizontal layout, worst-axis first approach, and pull metaphor conditions. Additionally, male participants demonstrated superior performance and reported lower levels of frustration compared to their female counterparts throughout the study. Intensity mode had no significant effect on the results. In summary, vibrating one tactor at a time (worst-axis first) and using the pull metaphor were the most effective methods of delivering vibrotactile feedback for peripersonal target navigation in both horizontal and vertical settings. Findings from this work can guide future development of haptic gloves for individuals with vision impairments, environments with visual limitations, and for accessibility and rehabilitation applications.

Figures (11)

• Figure 1: (A): An overview of the system. A ZED2 camera captured the participant's video, which was then processed for joint tracking (indicated by pink dots representing the detected joint locations). The relative position of the hand from the target location was calculated, and the corresponding haptic feedback was subsequently transmitted to the glove via a wireless router. Green line = possible target locations. (B): The haptic glove used in this study, showing the four tactors (a, b, c, and d) positioned on the dorsal side of the hand.
• Figure 2: Horizontal and vertical scene layouts used in this study.
• Figure 5: A dashed circle represents the critical region used to calculate the proportion of the hand trajectory near optimal paths relative to the total distance traveled. The center of this critical region (shown in blue) is positioned midway between the center of the main circle (gray) and the target (red). The radius of the critical region is set to 21 cm, providing a 20% margin to accommodate variations in hand movement.
• Figure 6: Task completion time (s) across different layouts, approaches, and metaphors, stratified by sex (WA: Worst-axis first, TT: Two-tactor).
• Figure 7: Hand trajectories from all participants across different layout, metaphor, and approach conditions, shown separately for male (blue) and female (red) participants. The black circular line indicates potential target locations.