ThermoGrasp: Enabling Localized Thermal Feedback on Fingers for Precision Grasps in Virtual Reality

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.