User Experience of PAL-HAND.Q, a Pneumatic Haptic Device for Finger-Level Gaming Interaction

This study investigates the usability and user experience of PAL-HAND.Q, a handheld haptic device designed to provide independent haptic feedback on each finger through an integrated electro-pneumatic system. The device features five soft pneumatic membranes --one per finger-- enabling vibrotactile stimulation and variable stiffness feedback. We conducted a usability study using two games that leverage the device's key features: Tile Game, which emphasizes timed actions and finger coordination, and Airplane Game, which integrates finger pressing with device orientation control. Twenty-five participants tested the system and completed questionnaires on usability, workload, game experience, haptic experience, and comfort. The results indicate good usability, moderate perceived workload, and engaging interactions. Notably, the device demonstrated better performance in continuous control tasks compared to time-pressured precision tasks, suggesting its suitability for applications requiring sustained, smooth finger-level interaction. Overall, the findings demonstrate PAL-HAND.Q's effectiveness for finger-level gaming interaction and point to its potential applicability in other domains requiring portable, independent finger-level haptic control, such as virtual and augmented reality, rehabilitation, and interactive training systems.