Multisensory texture exploration at the tip of the pen

A tool for the multisensory stylus-based exploration of virtual textures was used to investigate how different feedback modalities (static or dynamically deformed images, vibration, sound) affect exploratory gestures. To this end, we ran an experiment where participants had to steer a path with the stylus through a curved corridor on the surface of a graphic tablet/display, and we measured steering time, dispersion of trajectories, and applied force. Despite the variety of subjective impressions elicited by the different feedback conditions, we found that only nonvisual feedback induced significant variations in trajectories and an increase in movement time. In a post-experiment, using a paper-and-wood physical realization of the same texture, we recorded a variety of gestural behaviors markedly different from those found with the virtual texture. With the physical setup, movement time was shorter and texture-dependent lateral accelerations could be observed. This work highlights the limits of multisensory pseudo-haptic techniques in the exploration of surface textures.