Avatar Embodiment Enhances Haptic Confidence on the Out-of-Body Touch Illusion
IEEE Transactions on Haptics July 1, 2019 Mar González-Franco, Christopher C. Berger
Having a virtual body enhances a visuo-haptic illusion of touch on a virtual stick. Participants (n = 49) received three taps from controllers while seeing visual stimuli along a virtual stick in VR. Those embodied in an avatar reported the second tap as closer to the stick's center—a stronger illusion—than those without a body. Certainty about tap location was similar between groups. The authors conclude that avatar embodiment can alter haptic perception.