DrivingVibe: Enhancing VR Driving Experience using Inertia-based Vibrotactile Feedback around the Head

We present DrivingVibe, which explores vibrotactile feedback designs around the head to enhance VR driving motion experiences. We propose two approaches that use a 360-degree vibrotactile headband: 1) mirroring and 2) 3D inertia-based. The mirroring approach extends the vibrotactile patterns of handheld controllers to actuate the entire headband uniformly. The 3D inertia-based approach uses the acceleration telemetry data that driving games/simulators export to motion platforms to generate directional vibration patterns, including: i) centrifugal forces, ii) horizontal acceleration/deceleration, and iii) vertical motion due to rough terrain. The two approaches are complementary as the mirroring approach supports all driving games because it does not require telemetry data, while the 3D inertia-based approach provides higher feedback fidelity for games that provide such data. We conducted a 24-person user experience evaluation in both passive passenger mode and active driving mode. Study results showed that both DrivingVibe designs significantly improved realism, immersion, and enjoyment (p<.01) with large effect sizes for the VR driving experiences. For overall preference, 88% (21/24) of participants preferred DrivingVibe, with a 2:1 preference for 3D inertia-based vs. mirroring designs (14 vs. 7 participants). For immersion and enjoyment, 96% (23/24) of participants preferred DrivingVibe, with nearly a 3:1 preference (17 vs. 6 participants) for the 3D inertia-based design.