Collaborative identification of Haptic-only objects

Abstract

Research has highlighted difficulties that individuals encounter in identifying haptic-only objects, i.e. objects with three dimensional surfaces which are only represented to users in the haptic modality. This paper investigates whether and how collaboration between distributed users supports identification processes. We present a qualitative study in which pairs of participants collaboratively identify haptic objects. Our study uses conversation analysis to reveal benefits and problems in communication between participants. We highlight shared exploration strategies, techniques for mutual correction, and issues around understanding haptic device use in the remote space. This leads us to suggest that haptic devices should be actuated to match a remote device's movements, synchronising perspectives on haptic features and allowing mutual orientation to be established while retaining a user's spatial understanding of the haptic workspace. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.