A User-Centered Approach to Haptic Interface Design
Open Access
- Author:
- Gehman, Noah
- Graduate Program:
- Informatics
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 20, 2025
- Committee Members:
- Frank Ritter, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Fred Fonseca, Committee Member
Carleen Maitland, Program Head/Chair
Sarah J Stager, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Haptic Feedback
Haptic Interfaces
Haptics
User-Centered Design - Abstract:
- Haptic interface design remains a relatively underdeveloped area of human-computer interaction, lacking the cohesive principles that guide visual or auditory interface design. This thesis addresses that gap by proposing a structured framework that categorizes haptic interactions into four interdependent domains: the domain of the natural, the domain of the physical, the domain of the virtual, and the domain of the artificial. Synthesizing haptics research across multiple academic disciplines, each domain is defined in terms of the principles governing its respective system (biological, mechanical, computer, or psychological) and its role in shaping haptic experiences. Building on this framework, a user-centered approach to haptic interface design is developed with a focus on satisfying key criteria—adaptability, meaningfulness, and immersion—for improving haptic feedback. Important HCI theories and design principles (e.g., Norman’s usability principles, Gibson’s affordance theory) are applied to ensure that haptic interfaces become intuitive, discoverable, and engaging. Overall, this thesis offers a cohesive design paradigm that bridges technical haptic research with user-centered design, yielding practical guidelines and heuristics for creating more effective and immersive haptic interfaces. This thesis not only advances the current theoretical understanding of haptic design, but also provides actionable insights for developing future haptic systems that better align with human perception and cognition.