The goal of this study was to develop a system that enhances the interaction with virtual reality by the use of haptic feedback.
Very often people are not allowed to touch the objects exhibited in a museum because the artifact has to be preserved. Within the context of virtual reality, it was opted for the scenario where participants could touch dinosaurs in a virtual museum.
A multi-material 3D printing is used, consisting of flexible material with an inner hard matrix that allows for surface changes when pressure is applied. The final prototype implemented consists of two elements: a soft body that is capable of changing its surface topography and a compressor that allows for dynamically changing the state of the soft body.
In the virtual museum designed, users could feel three different textures in combination with the visualisation of three different dinosaurs. Incongruent and congruent conditions were examined in order to evaluate the system developed.
