Haptic Residency Call [2024-2025]

The Touch Experience and Accessibility Lab (TEAL) at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence of Arizona State University is hosting its first haptic residency program. We are looking for an undergraduate or graduate student from another field (not computer science or engineering) to join our lab for a 20 hours/week position in spring 2025 to do a project on designing haptic feedback for an application domain.

Background

Our digital world abounds in vivid visual and audio experiences but lacks compelling touch feedback (haptics). Haptic feedback can enable drivers to operate automotive interfaces safely [1], allow blind and low-vision users greater agency in virtual learning and work environments [2,3], offer patients in-home rehabilitation and therapy options [4,5], give family members the feeling of being together even when separated by long distances [6,7], and improve user immersion and enjoyment in games and narratives [8,9]. Yet creating effective haptic feedback remains challenging. Our goal is to democratize haptic design by developing software tools and training resources for application designers (e.g., artists, accessibility researchers, educators, therapists) who are new to haptics.

In this context, the goal of the haptic residency is to bring together a student from another domain (art, film, education, accessibility, or other fields) with our team of haptic researchers to develop new resources and applications of societal relevance. 

The selected resident will collaborate with our lab to develop haptic signals, interactions, or data for an application of societal relevance. Example topics include but are not limited to:

  • Accessibility: designing haptic and multimodal stimuli (e.g., sound, visual) for users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments 
  • Immersive storytelling: creating narrative experiences with haptics though immersive technologies (e.g., VR, AR)
  • Learning and education: making education and science more effective, equitable, or engaging through haptic feedback
  • Other application areas: designing haptic stimuli for increasing user performance, creativity, or social interaction

The key outcome of this residency will be new knowledge that can emerge between the resident and the TEAL researchers, which will be shared publicly as research papers, exhibition pieces, haptic stimuli files, open-source software tools, or tutorials.

Position, Timeline, and Application

The position is paid for up to 20 hours per week at an hourly rate of $17/hour.

  • Application deadline: October 31, 2024
  • Residency dates: 10 weeks between January – March, 2025

Application Materials

To apply for the residency, please submit the following documents using this form.

  • a 1-page proposal about your project idea, clearly stating the societal problem and project goal, how haptics can benefit the project, as well as relevant applicant’s background 
  • CV
  • academic transcripts
  • portfolio of previous projects (optional)
  • cover letter (optional)

The applicants can review example projects in the references below to form a better proposal for their haptic residency

Qualifications

  • Strong background or demonstrated experience in one of the above domains (art, film, education, accessibility, or another domain outside computer science and engineering)
  • Undergraduate or graduate student in a non-CS program in the United States
  • Strong proposal

Note that students that only have a computer science or engineering background are not eligible to apply. Dual majors or those with a minor in another field (e.g., psychology, art) are eligible candidates.

Expectations and Resources During the Residency

  • The selected resident is expected to work 20 hours per week in the lab, collaborate with other students, and attend group and individual meetings for the project.
  • The resident must be willing to share any techniques or resources they develop as open-source/publicly accessible documents to both the collaborators and the public.
  • At the start of the residency, all parties, including the relevant advisory board member, will meet to discuss project goals and establish a work plan for the project. During the program, the resident designer will have access to our lab equipment, computational models and tools, and a workspace at TEAL. 

Submit your application on this form. For any questions, contact hasti.seifi@asu.edu

References

[1] May the force be with you: Ultrasound haptic feedback for mid-air gesture interaction in cars: https://doi.org/10.1145/3239060.3239081

[2] Auditory and haptic feedback to train basic mathematical skills of children with visual impairments: https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2022.2060860 

[3] Virtual showdown: An accessible virtual reality game with scaffolds for youth with visual impairments: https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300371 

[4] Vibration therapy role in neurological diseases rehabilitation: an umbrella review of systematic reviews https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1946175 

[5] Altering One’s Body-Perception Through E-Textiles and Haptic Metaphors: https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2020.00007 

[6] Mediated Social Touching: Haptic Feedback Affects Social Experience of Touch Initiators: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10224506

[7] Tactile emoticons: Conveying social emotions and intentions with manual and robotic tactile feedback during social media communications: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0304417 

[8] Mouth Haptics in VR using a Headset Ultrasound Phased Array: https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3501960 

[9] Feel Effects: Enriching Storytelling with Haptic Feedback: https://doi.org/10.1145/2641570