Designing a wearable vibrotactile feedforward wrist display for novice gameplay

Abstract

As the potential of the video game medium expands, new design challenges come to light. In this paper, we present the design of a wearable vibrotactile feedforward display for novice players. The device, named "The Gauntlet Guide," is designed to provide vibrotactile guidance cues during navigation tasks in a fast-paced, visual- and audio-intensive video game. We report on a preliminary study in which we assessed the reliability, ergonomics and appeal of the display. Our findings support continued research on haptic feedforward as a viable technique for scaffolding the learning curve in modern video game environments and engaging novice players in gameplay. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.