Daumas, H. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

Perceptual integration of multisensory haptic, visual, and auditory feedback for roughness discrimination in augmented reality

Understanding how our different senses interact to shape our perception is essential to design realistic and immersive virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) experiences. The present study investigated how roughness perception can be modulated through haptic, visual, and auditory cues in AR using a vibrotactile wristband. Participants compared virtual textures varying in vibration frequency/amplitude, visual grain size, and friction sound. Results revealed strong linear relationships between stimulus parameters and perceived roughness, with haptic frequency and visual cues driving the highest discrimination performance. Adding non-informative sensory feedback reduced perceptual sensitivity, acting as noise. Individual differences emerged: participants who rated haptic as the easiest modality showed greater sensitivity to haptic variations, while visual-reliant participants performed better with visual cues. We conclude that roughness in AR can be systematically manipulated, but is vulnerable to perceptual interference from irrelevant inputs, where our work provides actionable insights for implementing optimized and adaptive AR/VR interfaces.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Physical determinants of perceived vibration intensity: Insights from haptic feedback given at the wrist

Understanding how mechanical vibrations applied to the skin translate into touch sensations is key to advancing tactile interfaces, from non-invasive neuroprosthetics to effective haptic tools. We investigate how modulating vibration waveform, frequency, and amplitude of a wrist-worn vibrotactile device influence perceived touch intensity, while simultaneously measuring accelerations at the actuator and skin surface. Thirty participants provided free-magnitude estimates of perceived intensity, showing that perceived intensity is significantly influenced by all parameters, while being strongly correlated with actuator and skin accelerations. Modulating the waveform shape showed that square waves are consistently rated as more intense. Vibration frequency exerted a non-linear influence, with perceived intensity peaking ~150 Hz and secondary acceleration and perceptual peaks were found at low frequencies for square and sawtooth waveforms. Thus, the skin faithfully preserves the mechanical signature of vibrations, which are clearly differentiated perceptually. These findings demonstrate that precise tactile characterization, both physically and perceptually, is essential, where device vibrations delivered to the skin determine what is perceived to a very high degree. As vibrations are relatively easy to control and apply, this opens up opportunities to convey a multitude of sensations, from brief taps to pressure, as well as more complex percepts like roughness and texture.

neuroscience↗