Kindler, H.D. – VEMI Lab /vemi University of Maine Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:24:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 The Design of mid-air ultrasonic haptic interfaces based on the perception of lines /vemi/publication/the-design-of-mid-air-ultrasonic-haptic-interfaces-based-on-the-perception-of-lines/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 18:15:55 +0000 /vemi/?post_type=publication&p=3584 Mid-air ultrasonic feedback is a new form of haptic stimulation supporting mid-air, touch-free user interfaces. Functional implementation of ultrasonic haptic (UH) interfaces depend upon the ability to accurately distinguish between the intensity, shape, orientation, and movement of a signal. This user study (N = 15) investigates the ability to non-visually perceive two ultrasonic lines with varying lengths (3, 5, and 7 cm) and
orientations (vertical and horizontal) using the palm of the hand. Key results showed that: (1) the orientation of the lines had no effect on a user’s accuracy when determining their relative lengths, (2) line length distinction significantly improved when the length difference was at least 4 cm, and (3) a clear learning curve was evident when evaluating a new user’s ability to perceive ultrasonic signals. The capabilities of UH technology identified and discussed within this study will help engineer user-friendly and functional mid-air haptic interfaces for future applications.

Keywords: Ultrasonic feedback, Mid-air haptics, User interfaces, Human-computer interaction

Citation: Loranger, J.A., Brown, J.R., Kindler, H.D., Fink, P.D.S., Dimitrov, V., & Giudice, N.A. (2023). The Design of mid-air ultrasonic haptic interfaces based on the perception of lines. In: I.L. Nunes (ed) Human Factors and Systems Interaction. Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE’23). vol 84, 18-26. AHFE International, USA. DOI: http://doi.org/10.54941/ahfe1003586

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