Force Arrow: An Efficient Pseudo-Weight Perception Method

Virtual object weight perception is an important topic, as it heightens the believability of object manipulation in immersive virtual environments. Although weight perception can be achieved using haptic interfaces, their technical complexity makes them difficult to apply in immersive virtual environments. In this study, we present a visual pseudo-haptic feedback system that simulates and depicts the weights of virtual objects, the effect of which is weight perception. The proposed method recognizes grasping and manipulating hand motions using computer vision-based tracking methods, visualizing a Force Arrow to indicate the current lifting forces and its difference from the standard lifting force. With the proposed Force Arrow method, a user can more accurately perceive the logical and unidirectional weight and therefore control the force used to lift a virtual object. In this paper, we investigate the potential of the proposed method in discriminating between different weights of virtual objects.