Yes / Online retailers are increasingly using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies to solve mental and physical intangibility issues in a product evaluation. Moreover, the technologies are easily available and accessible to consumers via their smartphones. The authors conducted three experiments to examine consumer responses to technology interfaces (AR/VR and mobile apps) for hedonic and utilitarian products. The results show that AR is easier to use (vs. app), and users find AR more responsive when buying a hedonic (vs. utilitarian) product. Touch interface users are likely to have a more satisfying experience and greater recommendation intentions, as compared to AR, for buying utilitarian products. In contrast, a multisensory environment (AR) results in a better user experience for purchasing a hedonic product. Moreover, multisensory technologies lead to higher visual appeal, emotional appeal, and purchase intentions. The research contributes to the literature on computer-mediated interactions in a multisensory environment and proposes actionable recommendations to online marketers.

In this research a variable-stiffness compliant mechanism was developed to generate variable force-displacement profiles at the mechanisms coupler point. The mechanism is based on a compliant Roberts straight-line mechanism, and the stiffness is varied by changing the effective length of the compliant links with an actuated slider. The variable-stiffness mechanism was used in a one-degree-of-freedom haptic interface to demonstrate the effectiveness of varying the stiffness of a compliant mechanism. Unlike traditional haptic interfaces, in which the force is controlled using motors and rigid links, the haptic interface developed in this work displays haptic stiffness via the variable-stiffness compliant mechanism. The force-deflection behavior of the mechanismwas analyzed using the Pseudo-Rigid Body Model (PRBM), and two key parameters, KQ and g,were optimized using finite element analysis (FEA) to match the model with the behavior of the device. One of the key features of the mechanism is that the inherent return-to-zero behavior of the compliant mechanism was used to provide the stiffness feedback felt by the user. A prototype haptic interface was developed capable of simulating the force-displacement profile of Lachmans Test performed on an injured ACL knee. The compliant haptic interface was capable of displaying stiffnesses between 4200 N/m and 7200 N/m.

Human-machine interfaces influence both operator effectiveness and machine efficiency. Further immersion of the operator into the machine’s working environment gives the operator a better feel for the status of the machine and its working conditions. With this knowledge, operators can more efficiently control machines. The use of multi-modal HMIs involving haptics, sound, and visual feedback can immerse the operator into the machine’s environment and provide assistive clues about the state of the machine. This thesis develops a realistic excavator model that mimics a mini-excavator’s dynamics and soil interaction during digging tasks. A realistic graphical interface is written that exceeds the quality of current academic simulators. The graphical interface and new HMI are placed together with a model of the excavator’s mechanical and hydraulic dynamics into an operator workstation. Two coordinated control schemes are developed on an haptic display for a mini-excavator and preliminary tests are run to measure increases in operator effectiveness and machine efficiency.

<div>Haptic interfaces possess great potential for both transmitting information and affecting emotion. I present two studies exploring these two applications.</div><div><br></div><div>The first study investigates the ability to selectively attend to certain tactile stimuli while ignoring others. Understanding this ability is necessary when designing vibrotactile displays that present multiple simultaneous signals for information transmission. Participants in this study wore a tactile display on each arm. They were trained to identify nine stimuli varying in location and frequency and tested on stimulus identification under various conditions, depending on whether one or both arms were stimulated and whether one or both arms were attended to. The results provide empirical evidence for selective attention of vibrotactile stimuli and indicate that participants can selectively attend to three locations and two frequencies with high accuracy.</div><div><br></div><div>The second study explores whether haptics can enhance the perceived immersiveness, novelty, and creepiness of a haunted house. Vibrotactile stimuli inspired by natural phenomena were presented to the user’s palm, and concealed actuators rattled the user’s chair. Séance-themed audio and visuals provided narrative context. In a post-experience questionnaire, nineteen of twenty-two participants reported that haptic effects increased their sense of immersion. A follow-up experiment was conducted to compare the impact of using multiple, distinct haptic stimuli as opposed to repeating a single,</div><div>multiplex stimulus. The results demonstrate both the influence of context on stimulus interpretation, as well as the unique payoffs when stimuli are tailored for a particular context.</div>

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