Directional guidance device using skin shear deformation on the nasal bridge

Author

Nishimoto, Kazuki and Nakamura, Yuto and Rekimoto, Jun and Narumi, Takuji

Abstract

Haptic feedback on the nose has gained attention as a method for presenting information that does not interfere with the visual or auditory senses, particularly in the context of navigation. Among these approaches, methods utilizing eyeglass nose pads are promising as they impose minimal additional burden on the user. However, existing methods mainly rely on vibration stimuli, which face challenges such as sensory adaptation, discomfort during continuous use, and reduced discriminability due to the propagation of vibrations. To address these issues, we propose a directional guidance method that induces skin shear deformation using rotating motors embedded in the nose pads to provide clearer directional cues. We developed a prototype and conducted an experiment to identify eight types of stimulus patterns. The results showed an overall accuracy of 72.8%. In particular, the directional recognition accuracy (classifying into Left, Right, or Both) reached an extremely high rate of 96.9%. On the other hand, response time analysis suggested that cognitive load increased under complex conditions where both motors were active. Subjective evaluations highlighted that while the clarity of the stimuli was appreciated, the shifting of glasses caused by shear deformation posed a challenge for wearability. This study demonstrates the high discriminability of skin shear stimulation on the nasal region, but optimization of parameters balancing comfort and accuracy is necessary for practical application.