Evaluating Virtual Hand Illusion through Realistic Appearance and Tactile Feedback

Abstract

We conducted a virtual reality study to explore virtual hand illusion through three levels of appearance (Appearance dimension: realistic vs. pixelated vs. toon hand appearances) and two levels of tactile feedback (Tactile dimension: no tactile vs. tactile feedback). We instructed our participants to complete a virtual assembly task in this study. Immediately afterward, we asked them to provide self-reported ratings on a survey that captured presence and five embodiment dimensions (hand ownership, touch sensation, agency and motor control, external appearance, and response to external stimuli). The results of our study indicate that (1) tactile feedback generated a stronger sense of presence, touch sensation, and response to external stimuli; (2) the pixelated hand appearance provided the least hand ownership and external appearance; and (3) in the presence of the pixelated hand, prior virtual reality experience of participants impacted their agency and motor control and their response to external stimuli ratings. This paper discusses our findings and provides design considerations for virtual reality applications with respect to the realistic appearance of virtual hands and tactile feedback.