People with Blind Visual Impairments (BVI) face unique challenges when sharing images, as these may accidentally contain sensitive or inappropriate content. In many instances, they are unaware of the potential risks associated with sharing such content, which can compromise their privacy and interpersonal relationships. To address this issue, we investigated image filtering techniques that could help BVI users manage sensitive content before sharing with various audiences, including family, friends, or strangers. We conducted a study with 20 BVI participants, evaluating different filters applied to images varying in sensitivity, such as personal moments or embarrassing shots. Results indicated that pixelation was the least preferred method, while preferences for other filters varied depending on image type and sharing context. Additionally, participants reported greater comfort when sharing filtered versus unfiltered images across audiences. Based on the results, we offer a set of design guidelines to enhance the image-sharing experience for BVI individuals.

Head-mounted displays (HMDs) enable users to navigate the Reality-Virtuality Continuum, facilitating transitions between the Real world, Augmented Reality, Augmented Virtuality, and the Virtual world. Traditional transition methods use double taps on HMDs or buttons on handheld controllers to transition between the worlds. However, this can often disrupt hands-free interaction and hinder the overall immersion. Although prior work explored transitioning within a reality, little is known about solutions facilitating transitioning across multiple worlds. In this paper, we investigate index finger-based solutions for transitioning between multiple realities. We designed and fabricated finger-worn button configurations of 2 × 2, 2 × 1, and 4 × 1, and compared them with finger-worn solutions such as Joystick, Rotary wheel, and Slider. The results showed that the 2 × 2 button configuration is the most effective technique, minimizing trial time and ensuring user comfort. Overall, this research enhances VR user experiences by improving interaction techniques for fluid switching between realities in the Reality-Virtuality Continuum.

The increasing interest in thermal haptic feedback devices, particularly for virtual reality (VR) applications, highlights the need for more immersive user experiences. However, replicating precise thermal sensations on the fingers remains challenging due to the complexity of finger joints and movements. In this paper, we introduce ThermoGrasp, a novel thermal display designed to enhance VR experiences by providing realistic thermal feedback during precision object grasping. ThermoGrasp is a modular wearable device that targets controlled thermal feedback on the distal phalanges. The implications of designing its VR application were assessed through two experimental studies. The first study focused on the device's ability to accurately convey thermal sensations across different fingers during various precision grasps. The second study investigated the overall haptic experience in VR, examining the impact of thermal feedback on user immersion and realism during interactions with objects of varying temperatures. Participants' subjective responses were analyzed based on factors such as autotelicity, expressiveness, immersion, realism, and harmony. The findings indicate that precise, localized thermal feedback significantly enhances the VR experience, offering a marked improvement over traditional haptic feedback methods.

With the recent Virtual Reality (VR) Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs), users can seamlessly transition between the virtual and real worlds with techniques such as passthrough. These techniques leverage on-device cameras to capture the real world and show users a view of their physical surroundings while wearing the HMDs. However, they often require users to hold a controller or frequently tap on the HMD, limiting the potential for hands-free interaction and thereby hindering a truly immersive and natural VR experience. To address this limitation, we designed FingerButton, a finger-worn push button device that enables seamless transitions between real and virtual environments. We conducted two studies, where the first one explored a set of hand gestures for transitioning between two environments that are commonly used for “mode switching” within realities. In the second study, we compared FingerButton with the best two-hand gesture identified in the first study and other commercially available solutions (e.g., double tap) for a between-reality selection task. The results show that the physical finger button is faster and user-preferred than other techniques for the transition tasks. Overall, this research contributes to understanding and improving the interaction techniques for fluid switching between the real and virtual worlds, thereby enhancing VR user experiences.

Haptic feedbacks are widely adopted in mobile and wearable devices to convey various types of notifications to the users. This paper investigates the design and the evaluation of thermal haptic feedback on an earable form factor with multiple thermoelectric (i.e. Peltier) modules. We propose ThermEarhook, a wearable device that can provide hot and cold stimuli at multiple points on the auricular skin area. To investigate users’ thermal perception on the auricular area, we develop a series of ThermEarhook prototypes with 3, 4, and 5 Peltier modules. While most existing research utilized the constant level of haptic signal for different users, our pilot study with ThermEarhook shows that the auricular thermohaptic threshold varies across the feedback locations and the users. With the user-customized thermohaptic signals around the ear, our first study with 12 participants reports on the selection of the auricular configuration with four TEC modules on each side, considering the users’ identification accuracy (averagely 99.3%) and preference. We then conduct three follow-up studies and a total of 36 participants to further evaluate users’ perception of spatial thermal patterns with ThermEarhook, and finalize a set of multi-points auricular thermal patterns that can be reliably perceived by the users with the average accuracy of 85.3%. Lastly, we discuss the user-proposed potential applications of the thermal haptic feedback with ThermEarhook.

Non-visual feedback (e.g., auditory and haptic) has been used as directional cues for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. This paper presents the design and the evaluation of ThermalCane, a white-cane grip instrumented with multiple flexible thermal modules, to offer thermotactile directional cues for BVI users. We also conducted two thermotactile experiments on users’ perception of ThermalCane. Our first experiment with twelve BVI users reports on the selection of the thermal-module configuration, considering the BVI users’ perceptive accuracy and preference. We then evaluated the effectiveness of the four-module ThermalCane in walking with 6 BVI users, in comparison with vibrotactile cues. The results show that the thermal feedback yielded significantly higher accuracy than the vibrotactile feedback. The results also suggested the feasibility of using thermal directional cues around the cane grip for BVI users’ navigation.

This paper describes the design process of ColorTact, a finger wearable device for accessing audio annotations on tactile diagrams. It is designed to cater a seamless audio experience while exploring the tactile images. The device consists of a color sensor which can sense the discrete color tagged areas on the diagrams and can give the corresponding audio/sound output saved in the color-to-audio mapping profile. It also allows users to use both hands to probe tactile images without restricting the movement and the tactile sensation of finger tips. It is standalone, easy to setup, low cost, and does not use any of the complex hardware or back-end image processing methods.

Earables/hearables (ear-worn devices) are on the rise as next-generation wearables which are capable of streaming audio, modifying soundscapes, and collecting body vitals. This paper introduces a novel concept of an earable device that can provide thermal (hot and cold) haptic cues at multiple areas around the ear. The concept with discrete thermal encoding can help the hearing and visually impaired individuals to obtain directional and other notifications from mobile and IoT devices. Embedding thermal haptic feedback into an earable form factor have a better edge in terms of privacy of notifications when compared to audio, visual, and vibrohaptic modalities. We conducted a pilot study using a proof-of-concept prototype and confirmed the feasibility of the concept.