The Ergonomic Benefits of Passive Haptics and Perceptual Manipulation for Extended Reality Interactions in Constrained Passenger Spaces

Extended Reality (XR) technology brings exciting possibilities for aeroplane passengers, allowing them to escape their limited cabin space. Using nearby physical surfaces enables a connection with the real world while improving the XR experience through touch. However, available surfaces may be located in awkward positions, reducing comfort and input performance and thus limiting their long-term use. We explore the usability of passive haptic surfaces in different orientations, assessing their effects on input performance, user experience and comfort. We then overcome ergonomic issues caused by the confined space by using perceptual manipulation techniques that remap the position and rotation of physical surfaces and user movements, assessing their effects on task workload, comfort and presence. Our results show that the challenges posed by constrained seating environments can be overcome by a combination of passive haptics and remapping the workspace with moderate translation and rotation manipulations. These manipulations allow for good input performance, low workload and comfortable interaction, opening up XR use while in transit.