This study designs and develops haptic feedback techniques that express emotions and enhance a sense of presence through pseudo-heartbeat vibrotactile stimuli—vibrations that imitate real heartbeats. By sharing a remote partner’s heartbeat in real time via a wrist-worn device, the system aims to enable nonverbal communication that does not rely on visual or auditory channels. A perceptual model has been proposed and evaluated, in which heart rate and vibration frequency represent arousal (arousal–sleep) and valence (pleasant–unpleasant), respectively. Experimental studies have demonstrated that pseudo-heartbeat feedback can enhance the perceived presence of a partner in online gameplay. In parallel, application development is underway, including mobile apps for smartphones and smartwatches.
Five Selected Papers
Under construction
Software Release
- Sohta Takada, Taku Hachisu:
Hear2Gether – iPhone App for Sharing Real-Time Heartbeats,
Released on the App Store, January 2025.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/jp/app/hear2gether/id6550898385
App Support: https://takadasohta.github.io/Heartalk_Browse/index.html
Video
- AsiaHaptics Conference 2024