VIRTUAL CONTACT: THE CONTINUUM FROM PURELY VISUAL TO PURELY PHYSICAL            

Robert W. Lindeman       
Department of Computer Science 
The George Washington University 
Washington, DC, USA      
gogo@gwu.edu         

Abstract
Providing appropriate cues to users when interacting with objects in immersive virtual 
environments (IVEs) is a difficult task. In addition to individual user differences, environmental 
factors, and task-specific requirements, the technological complexity of the current state of the art 
in haptic feedback further increases the difficulty. Though the technology continues to improve, 
we are still a long way from having haptic feedback that meets the demands of a "general 
solution" to the problem. This paper focuses on ways of providing effective contact cues in IVEs, 
starting with purely-visual approaches and moving along a continuum to the use of actual physical 
objects as high-fidelity interfaces.                           






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