VR Calm Plus: Coupling a Squeezable Tangible Interaction with Immersive VR for Stress Regulation
He Zhang, Xinyang Li, Xingyu Zhou, Xinyi Fu

TL;DR
VR Calm Plus integrates a squeezable plush toy into immersive VR to enhance stress relief, showing improved emotional and physiological relaxation compared to visual-only VR experiences.
Contribution
This work introduces a novel multimodal VR system combining tangible squeezing interaction with immersive environments for stress regulation.
Findings
Squeeze interaction significantly increased positive affect and relaxation.
Physiological measures showed greater heart rate reduction and maintained autonomic flexibility.
Participants reported higher perceived relaxation with squeeze-based VR.
Abstract
While Virtual Reality (VR) is increasingly employed for stress management, most applications rely heavily on audio-visual stimuli and overlook the therapeutic potential of squeezing engagement. To address this gap, we introduce VR Calm Plus, a multimodal system that integrates a pressure-sensitive plush toy into an interactive VR environment. This interface allows users to dynamically modulate the virtual atmosphere through physical squeezing actions, fostering a deeper sense of embodied relaxation. We evaluated the system with 40 participants using PANAS-X surveys, subjective questionnaires, physiological measures (heart rate, skin conductance, pulse rate variability), and semi-structured interviews. Results demonstrate that, compared to a visual-only baseline, squeeze-based interaction significantly enhances positive affect and perceived relaxation. Physiological data further revealed…
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Taxonomy
TopicsVirtual Reality Applications and Impacts · Emotion and Mood Recognition · Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
