Feel Autism VR – Adding Tactile Feedback to a VR Experience

Abstract

Feel Autism VR is a new virtual reality (VR) system which builds upon an Autism VR system which was developed in the past year. The aim of the original system was to design a novel VR environment to boost user’s awareness about autism and in so doing, increase the level of empathy towards autistic children. We sought to create a VR environment which provides total immersion to its users. A touching-without-feeling technique was used to send an ultrasound signal to the user’s body when the VR experience displays a touching scenario. Sound, vision and virtual touching elements could increase the awareness of presence, of the autistic children. A novel approach has been implemented which will allow users to feel tactile feedback physically without being touched. In so doing, we can recreate the annoyance felt by the autistic child throughout the day. Ultrasound waves will be generated via an ultrasound speaker which send the waves through the air and create pressure to simulate a real-life event. This concept will be inserted in the narrative of the original VR Autism project in order to mimic physical touching between an autistic child and his classmates, teachers, etc. The results were very promising whereby 50% of the users declared that after the experience, they are in a better position to understand children with autism.