On-body systems that delver haptic feedback have powerful potential for applications from improving navigation aids to assisting in anxiety management. This work is funded by the OSU Advantage Accelerator.
Haptics is a relatively new research area that requires more investigation and testing. In particular, we are interested in wearable haptic devices for navigation assistance for individuals with visual impairments and anxiety reduction for individuals who experience symptoms of anxiety. But user requirements, system designs, and device effectiveness in these areas are not yet well understood.
We are working with potential stakeholders (i.e., individuals with visual impairments for the former project, and clinicians with experience treating anxiety for the latter) to design useful systems for real end users. In our evaluations, we aim to identify significant differences between our research systems and current state-of-the-art solutions in these areas.