Sensors and Actuators for HCI and VR: A Few Case Studies

This paper discusses the role of sensors and actuators in Human-Computer Interaction and Virtual Reality. We first introduce the need of sensory input and output and the user senses stimulation. We then present two experiences of immersive games with a comparison of the techniques 20 years ago and today and also discuss the importance of vision-based hand tracking. The main part of the paper is dedicated to haptic and tactile feedbacks with 4 different case studies: haptic feedback using a haptic workstation, a wearable system for mobility improvement of visually impaired people, a system for enhancing pilot performance, and actuators to feel the wind. Finally, we survey a few smart jackets with sensors and actuators.