Modelling Visuo-Haptic Perception Change in Size Estimation Tasks

TL;DR

This paper investigates how visuo-haptic perception of size changes over time, revealing perception drift, effects of priming, and proposing a cyclical model to better understand sensory integration and divergence in VR.

Contribution

It introduces a novel model of visuo-haptic perception as a self-adjusting cycle, advancing understanding of sensory perception dynamics and their implications for VR interactions.

Findings

Perception drifts over time during size estimation.

Visual priming influences perception accuracy.

Proposed a cyclical, self-adjusting perception model.

Abstract

Tangible interactions involve multiple sensory cues, enabling the accurate perception of object properties, such as size. Research has shown, however, that if we decouple these cues (for example, by altering the visual cue), then the resulting discrepancies present new opportunities for interactions. Perception over time though, not only relies on momentary sensory cues, but also on a priori beliefs about the object, implying a continuing update cycle. This cycle is poorly understood and its impact on interaction remains unknown. We study (N=80) visuo-haptic perception of size over time and (a) reveal how perception drifts, (b) examine the effects of visual priming and dead-reckoning, and (c) present a model of visuo-haptic perception as a cyclical, self-adjusting system. Our work has a direct impact on illusory perception in VR, but also sheds light on how our visual and haptic systems cooperate and diverge.