| Bibliography | Hees, Julian Ramon: Haptic feedback for locomotion in virtual reality. University of Stuttgart, Faculty of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Information Technology, Master Thesis No. 121 (2025). 52 pages, english.
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| Abstract | Locomotion in Virtual Reality (VR) remains a central research topic, as nearly all VR applications require users to move naturally within the virtual environment. When the objective is a realistic and immersive experience rather than quick or simplified navigation via controllers, locomotion should replicate real-world physical sensations as closely as possible. To pursue this goal, this work integrates a seated locomotion system with a haptic feedback setup capable of generating force and vibration cues corresponding to virtual foot–ground interactions. The system employs an improved version of the STROE [AASV22] devices , which can simulate forces up to 6 Newton through strings attached to the user’s shoes. Each foot is connected to two devices positioned to reproduce forward, backward, and upward forces—excluding sideward and downward forces. Distinct force patterns (vibration, damping, and pulling) were defined for different virtual materials such as sand, gravel, snow, water, and mud. A user study compared three conditions: seated locomotion with haptic feedback, seated locomotion without haptic feedback, and standing locomotion without haptic feedback. Results showed a clear increase in perceived immersion, enjoyment, and realism for the haptic condition, even though the generated forces did not reach realistic magnitudes. These findings demonstrate that even limited haptic feedback can significantly enhance the subjective quality of seated VR locomotion experiences.
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