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Research has shown that incorporating haptics into virtual environments can increase sensory fidelity and provide powerful and immersive experiences. However, current studies on haptics in virtual interactions primarily focus on one-on-one scenarios, while kinesthetic haptic interactions in large virtual gatherings are underexplored. This study aims to investigate the impact of kinesthetic haptics on eliciting emotional responses within crowded virtual reality (VR) scenarios. Specifically, we examine the influence of type or quality of the haptic feedback on the perception of positive and negative emotions. We designed and developed different combinations of tactile and torque feedback devices and evaluated their effects on emotional responses. To achieve this, we explored different combinations of haptic feedback devices, including “No Haptic,” “Tactile Stimulus” delivering tactile cues, and “Haptic Stimulus” delivering tactile and torque cues, in combination with two immersive 360-degree video crowd scenarios, namely, “Casual Crowd” and “Aggressive Crowd.” The results suggest that varying the type or quality of haptic feedback can evoke different emotional responses in crowded VR scenarios. Participants reported increased levels of nervousness with Haptic Stimulus in both virtual scenarios, while both Tactile Stimulus and Haptic Stimulus were negatively associated with pleasantness and comfort during the interaction. Additionally, we observed that participants’ sense of touch being real was enhanced in Haptic Stimulus compared to Tactile Stimulus. The “Haptic Stimulus” condition had the most positive influence on participants’ sense of identification with the crowd.

Force is crucial for learning psychomotor skills in laparoscopic tissue manipulation. Fundamental laparoscopic surgery (FLS), on the other hand, only measures time and position accuracy. FLS is a commonly used training program for basic laparoscopic training through part tasks. The FLS is employed in most of the laparoscopic training systems, including box trainers and virtual reality (VR) simulators. However, many laparoscopic VR simulators lack force feedback and measure tissue damage solely through visual feedback based on virtual collisions. Few VR simulators that provide force feedback have subjective force metrics. To provide an objective force assessment for haptic skills training in the VR simulators, we extend the FLS part tasks to haptic-based FLS (HFLS), focusing on controlled force exertion. We interface the simulated HFLS part tasks with a customized bi-manual haptic simulator that offers five degrees of freedom (DOF) for force feedback. The proposed tasks are evaluated through face and content validity among laparoscopic surgeons of varying experience levels. The results show that trainees perform better in HFLS tasks. The average Likert score observed for face and content validity is greater than 4.6 ± 0.3 and 4 ± 0.5 for all the part tasks, which indicates the acceptance of the simulator among subjects for its appearance and functionality. Face and content validations show the need to improve haptic realism, which is also observed in existing simulators. To enhance the accuracy of force rendering, we incorporated a laparoscopic tool force model into the simulation. We study the effectiveness of the model through a psychophysical study that measures just noticeable difference (JND) for the laparoscopic gripping task. The study reveals an insignificant decrease in gripping-force JND. A simple linear model could be sufficient for gripper force feedback, and a non-linear LapTool force model does not affect the force perception for the force range of 0.5-2.5 N. Further study is required to understand the usability of the force model in laparoscopic training at a higher force range. Additionally, the construct validity of HFLS will confirm the applicability of the developed simulator to train surgeons with different levels of experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we proposed an electromagnetic-piezoelectric integrated vibration based energy harvester to scavenge energy and generate steady power. By adopting rectangular cut cantilever with rectangular portion comprising the PE section and remaining cut portion acts as proof mass and NdFeB magnet which is surrounded by the coil. Power is harvested simultaneously by means of electromagnetic induction and piezoelectric principle. Though it works on different mechanisms, the design and fabrication of the harvester is as simple as the device with single energy conversion process, which results in reduced size and attains a greater power density. The design of hybrid harvester was modeled and investigated by using COMSOL multi-physics which produces 120 μW at its matching frequency with an optimum load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]