Feeling Virtual Worlds: An Exploration into Coupling Virtual and Kinaesthetic Experiences

In this paper we describe an exploratory study that incorporates the design, implementation and study of a system that utilises virtual reality, tangible interaction and force feedback. The approach we take is to design a VR system that incorporates a movable tangible interface (wheelchair), which overlaps seamlessly with a 3d counterpart in the virtual world. The user interacts with the virtual environment by pushing the physical wheelchair, which simultaneously controls the virtual avatar. In the virtual world we place objects that once collided with trigger force feedback by stopping the physical wheelchair. In this paper we discuss the design rationale and technical implementation and follow by describing the next phase of this work in progress.