Vibrotactile enhancement of auditory induced self-motion and spatial presence

Abstract

The entertainment industry frequently uses vibroacoustic stimulation, where chairs with embedded loudspeakers and shakers enhance the experience. Scientific investigations of the effect of such enhancers on illusory self-motion (vection) and spatial presence are largely missing. The current study examined whether auditory-induced vection (AIV) may be further augmented-by the simultaneous presentation of additional vibrotactile cues delivered via mechanical shakers and low-frequency sound. It was found that mechanically induced vibrations increase AIV and spatial presence responses significantly. This cross-modal enhancement was stronger for stimuli containing an auditory-tactile simulation of a vehicle engine, demonstrating the benefits of the multisensory representation of virtual environments.