Touch the Metaverse: Demonstration of Haptic Feedback in Network-Assisted Augmented Reality

Abstract

State-of-the-art head-mounted display has brought new momentum to novel augmented/virtual-reality (AR/VR) applications in a metaverse, where people interact with virtual objects. The sense of touch can improve the quality of experience. However, there are several challenges in imitating and realizing the touch sense, communicating haptic feedback, and competing between applications for shared network resources. We developed a haptic gloves with FingerTac to enable the sense of touch and designed a tailor-made communication protocol for the haptic data stream. Additionally, we integrate advanced queue management algorithms to achieve low-delay haptic data. Our demonstration uses an AR game, where we prioritize haptic data transmission for an intuitive experience when users interact with virtual objects.