Effect of Inconsistency in Perceiving Macro-Roughness of Virtual Texture on Real Object

When using Augmented Reality (AR) to overlay virtual textures onto real objects, a significant discrepancy between the tactile and visual characteristics of the real objects can cause users to experience dissonance. This study aims to quantitatively determine the acceptable range of differences in surface roughness that do not induce this dissonance. Specifically, it focuses on macro-roughness, characterized by spatial periods of $200~\mu $ m or more. The experiment system employed ensures accurate occlusion between the user’s finger and virtual textures, a factor often neglected in most conventional studies. Adopting people occlusion in the AR environment reduces the burden on users, while ensuring that the sense of dissonance is not from occlusion rendering. Two materials were used in the experiments: acrylic and medium density fiberboard. The findings indicate that users are more sensitive to dissonance when the real object is rougher than the virtual texture, compared to the opposite case. Additionally, the friction magnitude between the materials and the user’s finger was found to be proportional to the finger pressure applied. Based on this study’s quantitative analysis of the visual-haptic interaction in AR environments, it provides a basis for further research on multisensory interactions and its applications, such as AR material design.