In this study, we compare haptic feedback and nonhaptic feedback conditions in which virtual characters bump into the participant who is immersed in a virtual environment. A questionnaire was developed to determine the influence of haptic feedback on a number of concepts (presence, embodiment, positive and negative affect, interaction realism with virtual character, and haptic feedback realism). Physiological data were also collected using galvanic skin response (GSR) to investigate the influence of haptic feedback on physiological arousal during human–virtual character interaction. Five conditions were developed (no haptic feedback, full intensity, half intensity, incorrect position, and delayed timing) to determine which aspects of haptic feedback are most important in influencing participant responses. Significant differences were found in embodiment, realism of virtual character interaction, and haptic feedback realism. In addition, significant differences were found in GSR amplitude after the first interaction with the virtual character. Implications for further research are discussed.

As motion-sensing devices become more accessible to consumers, it is important to understand how users experience embodiment when using these devices. In our 3 × 2 between-groups study, we explored eye fixations and electrodermal activity (EDA) in order to more objectively understand potential interaction effects between the self-avatar body, and the presence of a mirror within the context of low-budget embodiment. We developed six experimental conditions concerning Body (human, mannequin, and zombie self-avatars) and Mirror (mirror and no mirror) factors, and presented participants with a virtual environment in which they could control their self-avatars by using HTC Vive controllers and trackers. In addition to eye fixations and EDA, we assessed self-reported data concerning body ownership, agency, self-location, as well as enjoyment of the experience. Our results suggest that the Body may have been more influential in eliciting body ownership than the Mirror, and that an interaction effect between Gender and Body may influence eye gaze behavior. Additionally, female participants reported significantly higher agency than males. We consider logical next steps for similar research which might elaborate upon our findings.

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Synthesizing photo products such as photo strips and slideshows using a database of images is a time-consuming and tedious process that requires significant manual work. To overcome this limitation, we developed a method that automatically synthesizes photo sequences based on several design parameters. Our method considers the valence and arousal ratings of images in conjunction with parameters related to both the visual consistency of the synthesized photo sequence and the progression of valence and arousal throughout the photo sequence. Our method encodes valence, arousal, and visual consistency parameters as cost terms into a total cost function while applying a Markov chain Monte Carlo optimization techniques called simulated annealing to synthesize the photo sequence based on user-defined target objectives in a few seconds. As our method was developed for the synthesis of photo sequences using the valence-arousal emotional model, a user study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the synthesized photo sequences in triggering valence-arousal ratings as expected. Our results indicate that the proposed method synthesizes photo sequences in which valence and arousal dimensions are perceived as expected by participants; however, valence may be more appropriately perceived than arousal.