{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140789"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/140789","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Navigating the Unseen: A Haptic Glove for Peripersonal Navigation in Low-Visibility Scenarios","abstract":"Effective interaction with objects within arm's reach, known as peripersonal navigation, is essential to performing everyday activities as well as specialized tasks in fields such as healthcare, construction, and assistive technology. However, this ability can be substantially impaired in cluttered or unfamiliar environments, or when visual input is limited by fog, smoke, or visual impairments. While augmented reality (AR) and audio-based systems have been explored to enhance spatial awareness, AR devices are often costly and uncomfortable for extended use, and auditory cues can be difficult to interpret in noisy or attention-demanding settings. Vibrotactile feedback, which delivers directional and proximity information through touch, offers a promising alternative. It is discreet, intuitive, and resilient to environmental distractions, making it well suited for guiding movement under low-visibility conditions. Yet, critical questions remain regarding how to design effective vibrotactile cues, identify intuitive guidance strategies, and adapt feedback to users' dynamic behaviors. To address these gaps, my dissertation pursues three integrated goals centered on developing and evaluating a haptic glove that delivers vibrotactile feedback to support peripersonal navigation in low-visibility scenarios. Study 1 examines how tactor placement, hand motion, and temporal patterns influence vibrotactile perception. Twenty-two right-handed participants identified vibrating tactors placed on the dorsal hand or wrist while performing controlled hand movements. Results showed that recognition accuracy decreased during hand motion and when vibrations occured with shorter onset intervals, and that stimuli on the hand were more distinguishable than those on the wrist. Study 2 evaluates vibrotactile guidance strategies using a custom haptic glove. Blindfolded participants navigated toward virtual targets under multiple feedback metaphors and proximity cue designs. Among the tested strategies, the two-tactor vector approach and a \"pull\" metaphor yielded the fastest target acquisition times and smoothest hand trajectories, demonstrating their potential for intuitive spatial guidance. Study 3 examines how different temporal feedback patterns—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts timing based on hand speed)—affect navigation performance and user experience in accuracy- and speed-priority scenarios. Participants performed a simulated object-search task under reduced visibility while performance metrics and subjective usability ratings were collected. The Distance-Based temporal pattern showed the stronger overall performance and highest user preference. Together, these studies advance the understanding of vibrotactile design for spatial guidance and lay the foundation for haptic interfaces that adapt to user needs and environmental conditions. The findings have broad implications for assistive technologies supporting individuals with visual impairments and for applications in search and rescue, firefighting, industrial safety, and immersive AR/VR systems. By refining how tactile cues are structured and delivered, this work contributes to the development of more effective, inclusive, and context-aware haptic navigation systems.","abstract_html":"Effective interaction with objects within arm's reach, known as peripersonal navigation, is essential to performing everyday activities as well as specialized tasks in fields such as healthcare, construction, and assistive technology. However, this ability can be substantially impaired in cluttered or unfamiliar environments, or when visual input is limited by fog, smoke, or visual impairments. While augmented reality (AR) and audio-based systems have been explored to enhance spatial awareness, AR devices are often costly and uncomfortable for extended use, and auditory cues can be difficult to interpret in noisy or attention-demanding settings. Vibrotactile feedback, which delivers directional and proximity information through touch, offers a promising alternative. It is discreet, intuitive, and resilient to environmental distractions, making it well suited for guiding movement under low-visibility conditions. Yet, critical questions remain regarding how to design effective vibrotactile cues, identify intuitive guidance strategies, and adapt feedback to users' dynamic behaviors. To address these gaps, my dissertation pursues three integrated goals centered on developing and evaluating a haptic glove that delivers vibrotactile feedback to support peripersonal navigation in low-visibility scenarios. Study 1 examines how tactor placement, hand motion, and temporal patterns influence vibrotactile perception. Twenty-two right-handed participants identified vibrating tactors placed on the dorsal hand or wrist while performing controlled hand movements. Results showed that recognition accuracy decreased during hand motion and when vibrations occured with shorter onset intervals, and that stimuli on the hand were more distinguishable than those on the wrist. Study 2 evaluates vibrotactile guidance strategies using a custom haptic glove. Blindfolded participants navigated toward virtual targets under multiple feedback metaphors and proximity cue designs. Among the tested strategies, the two-tactor vector approach and a "pull" metaphor yielded the fastest target acquisition times and smoothest hand trajectories, demonstrating their potential for intuitive spatial guidance. Study 3 examines how different temporal feedback patterns—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts timing based on hand speed)—affect navigation performance and user experience in accuracy- and speed-priority scenarios. Participants performed a simulated object-search task under reduced visibility while performance metrics and subjective usability ratings were collected. The Distance-Based temporal pattern showed the stronger overall performance and highest user preference. Together, these studies advance the understanding of vibrotactile design for spatial guidance and lay the foundation for haptic interfaces that adapt to user needs and environmental conditions. The findings have broad implications for assistive technologies supporting individuals with visual impairments and for applications in search and rescue, firefighting, industrial safety, and immersive AR/VR systems. By refining how tactile cues are structured and delivered, this work contributes to the development of more effective, inclusive, and context-aware haptic navigation systems.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Tajdari, Mahdis"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Industrial and Systems Engineering","degree_department":"Industrial and Systems Engineering","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Lim, Sol Ie"],"committee_members":["Forsyth, Jason Brinkley","Jeon, Myounghoon","Shew, Ashley"],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-01-13","date_published":"2026-01-13","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:22Z","subjects":["Vibrotactile feedback","Peripersonal navigation","Vibrotactile sensitivity","Temporal patterns"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45557"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:45557","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140789","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Lim, Sol Ie"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Forsyth, Jason Brinkley","Jeon, Myounghoon","Shew, Ashley"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Tajdari, Mahdis"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-01-14T09:00:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-01-14T09:00:23Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-01-13"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Vibrotactile feedback","Peripersonal navigation","Vibrotactile sensitivity","Temporal patterns"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:45557"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140789"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Effective interaction with objects within arm's reach, known as peripersonal navigation, is essential to performing everyday activities as well as specialized tasks in fields such as healthcare, construction, and assistive technology. However, this ability can be substantially impaired in cluttered or unfamiliar environments, or when visual input is limited by fog, smoke, or visual impairments. While augmented reality (AR) and audio-based systems have been explored to enhance spatial awareness, AR devices are often costly and uncomfortable for extended use, and auditory cues can be difficult to interpret in noisy or attention-demanding settings. Vibrotactile feedback, which delivers directional and proximity information through touch, offers a promising alternative. It is discreet, intuitive, and resilient to environmental distractions, making it well suited for guiding movement under low-visibility conditions. Yet, critical questions remain regarding how to design effective vibrotactile cues, identify intuitive guidance strategies, and adapt feedback to users' dynamic behaviors. To address these gaps, my dissertation pursues three integrated goals centered on developing and evaluating a haptic glove that delivers vibrotactile feedback to support peripersonal navigation in low-visibility scenarios. Study 1 examines how tactor placement, hand motion, and temporal patterns influence vibrotactile perception. Twenty-two right-handed participants identified vibrating tactors placed on the dorsal hand or wrist while performing controlled hand movements. Results showed that recognition accuracy decreased during hand motion and when vibrations occured with shorter onset intervals, and that stimuli on the hand were more distinguishable than those on the wrist. Study 2 evaluates vibrotactile guidance strategies using a custom haptic glove. Blindfolded participants navigated toward virtual targets under multiple feedback metaphors and proximity cue designs. Among the tested strategies, the two-tactor vector approach and a \"pull\" metaphor yielded the fastest target acquisition times and smoothest hand trajectories, demonstrating their potential for intuitive spatial guidance. Study 3 examines how different temporal feedback patterns—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts timing based on hand speed)—affect navigation performance and user experience in accuracy- and speed-priority scenarios. Participants performed a simulated object-search task under reduced visibility while performance metrics and subjective usability ratings were collected. The Distance-Based temporal pattern showed the stronger overall performance and highest user preference. Together, these studies advance the understanding of vibrotactile design for spatial guidance and lay the foundation for haptic interfaces that adapt to user needs and environmental conditions. The findings have broad implications for assistive technologies supporting individuals with visual impairments and for applications in search and rescue, firefighting, industrial safety, and immersive AR/VR systems. By refining how tactile cues are structured and delivered, this work contributes to the development of more effective, inclusive, and context-aware haptic navigation systems."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["Being able to locate and interact with objects within arm's reach is essential for everyday lift, from cooking or getting dressed to performing complex tasks. This ability, known as peripersonal navigation, can become challenging in cluttered or low-visibility environments affected by smoke, fog, or poor lighting, and for individuals with visual impairments. Existing tools, such as augmented reality headsets or audio-based guidance systems, often fall short because they can be expensive, uncomfortable, or hard to use in noisy or distracting settings. This dissertation explores vibrotactile feedback, information delivered through gentle vibrations on the skin, as an alternative way to support navigation when vision is limited. Vibrotactile cues allow users to feel direction and distance without relying on sight or sound. The goal of this work is to design and evaluate a haptic glove that uses vibration-based signals to guide hand movements and enhance spatial awareness. The research consists of three studies. Study 1 examines how the location and timing of vibrations, along with hand motion, influence how accurately people can identify where vibrations occur. Study 2 evaluates different vibration patterns and guiding strategies to determine which ones help people navigate most quickly and clearly. Study 3 compares several timing approaches—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts vibration timing based on hand speed)—to understand how they influence performance and user experience during a simulated search task under low-visibility conditions, with either accuracy or speed emphasized. Together, these studies help advance touch-based technologies that can improve safety, accessibility, and performance in a range of settings. The findings have important implications for assistive devices for individuals with visual impairments and for high-risk environments such as search and rescue, firefighting, and industrial operations. Overall, this research deepens our understanding of how tactile information can be effectively designed to support human interaction with the environment."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Navigating the Unseen: A Haptic Glove for Peripersonal Navigation in Low-Visibility Scenarios"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Lim, Sol Ie"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Forsyth, Jason Brinkley","Jeon, Myounghoon","Shew, Ashley"],"dc:contributor.department":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"],"dc:creator":["Tajdari, Mahdis"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-01-14T09:00:23Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-01-14T09:00:23Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-01-13"],"dc:description.abstract":["Effective interaction with objects within arm's reach, known as peripersonal navigation, is essential to performing everyday activities as well as specialized tasks in fields such as healthcare, construction, and assistive technology. However, this ability can be substantially impaired in cluttered or unfamiliar environments, or when visual input is limited by fog, smoke, or visual impairments. While augmented reality (AR) and audio-based systems have been explored to enhance spatial awareness, AR devices are often costly and uncomfortable for extended use, and auditory cues can be difficult to interpret in noisy or attention-demanding settings. Vibrotactile feedback, which delivers directional and proximity information through touch, offers a promising alternative. It is discreet, intuitive, and resilient to environmental distractions, making it well suited for guiding movement under low-visibility conditions. Yet, critical questions remain regarding how to design effective vibrotactile cues, identify intuitive guidance strategies, and adapt feedback to users' dynamic behaviors. To address these gaps, my dissertation pursues three integrated goals centered on developing and evaluating a haptic glove that delivers vibrotactile feedback to support peripersonal navigation in low-visibility scenarios. Study 1 examines how tactor placement, hand motion, and temporal patterns influence vibrotactile perception. Twenty-two right-handed participants identified vibrating tactors placed on the dorsal hand or wrist while performing controlled hand movements. Results showed that recognition accuracy decreased during hand motion and when vibrations occured with shorter onset intervals, and that stimuli on the hand were more distinguishable than those on the wrist. Study 2 evaluates vibrotactile guidance strategies using a custom haptic glove. Blindfolded participants navigated toward virtual targets under multiple feedback metaphors and proximity cue designs. Among the tested strategies, the two-tactor vector approach and a \"pull\" metaphor yielded the fastest target acquisition times and smoothest hand trajectories, demonstrating their potential for intuitive spatial guidance. Study 3 examines how different temporal feedback patterns—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts timing based on hand speed)—affect navigation performance and user experience in accuracy- and speed-priority scenarios. Participants performed a simulated object-search task under reduced visibility while performance metrics and subjective usability ratings were collected. The Distance-Based temporal pattern showed the stronger overall performance and highest user preference. Together, these studies advance the understanding of vibrotactile design for spatial guidance and lay the foundation for haptic interfaces that adapt to user needs and environmental conditions. The findings have broad implications for assistive technologies supporting individuals with visual impairments and for applications in search and rescue, firefighting, industrial safety, and immersive AR/VR systems. By refining how tactile cues are structured and delivered, this work contributes to the development of more effective, inclusive, and context-aware haptic navigation systems."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["Being able to locate and interact with objects within arm's reach is essential for everyday lift, from cooking or getting dressed to performing complex tasks. This ability, known as peripersonal navigation, can become challenging in cluttered or low-visibility environments affected by smoke, fog, or poor lighting, and for individuals with visual impairments. Existing tools, such as augmented reality headsets or audio-based guidance systems, often fall short because they can be expensive, uncomfortable, or hard to use in noisy or distracting settings. This dissertation explores vibrotactile feedback, information delivered through gentle vibrations on the skin, as an alternative way to support navigation when vision is limited. Vibrotactile cues allow users to feel direction and distance without relying on sight or sound. The goal of this work is to design and evaluate a haptic glove that uses vibration-based signals to guide hand movements and enhance spatial awareness. The research consists of three studies. Study 1 examines how the location and timing of vibrations, along with hand motion, influence how accurately people can identify where vibrations occur. Study 2 evaluates different vibration patterns and guiding strategies to determine which ones help people navigate most quickly and clearly. Study 3 compares several timing approaches—Continuous, Fixed-Interval, Distance-Based, and Behavior-Based (which adjusts vibration timing based on hand speed)—to understand how they influence performance and user experience during a simulated search task under low-visibility conditions, with either accuracy or speed emphasized. Together, these studies help advance touch-based technologies that can improve safety, accessibility, and performance in a range of settings. The findings have important implications for assistive devices for individuals with visual impairments and for high-risk environments such as search and rescue, firefighting, and industrial operations. Overall, this research deepens our understanding of how tactile information can be effectively designed to support human interaction with the environment."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:45557"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/140789"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["Vibrotactile feedback","Peripersonal navigation","Vibrotactile sensitivity","Temporal patterns"],"dc:title":["Navigating the Unseen: A Haptic Glove for Peripersonal Navigation in Low-Visibility Scenarios"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Industrial and Systems Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:22Z"}