Can a Wrist Squeeze Teach a Better Pool Shot?
We explore concurrent wrist-based haptic guidance during a complex, multi-joint action—an identical 45° billiards shot in immersive VR—and share a practical design approach for what to cue, and when.
Backstory (from the authors)
Concurrent haptic feedback is underexplored in haptics/HCI, especially for complex movements like a pool shot. We wanted to probe its impact on task performance and—equally important—offer a designable recipe for what kind of wrist feedback to provide during such tasks, grounded by a small exploratory study.
Why concurrent haptics?
VR is famously visual-first. That’s great for presence, but it can drown out proprioceptive cues that drive fluent motor control—especially in bimanual, dynamically coupled actions. Gentle, during-movement wrist cues aim to re-balance attention toward intrinsic states as the motion unfolds.
- Targets how you move (kinematics), not just what you achieve (task outcome).
- Lightweight, wearable, and timing-precise for the “shot window”.
- Complements (not replaces) visual guidance in VR training.
What we built
- Task: Immersive VR billiards with an identical 45° shot and tracked hands/cue.
- Device: Tasbi-style wrist bands (squeeze + vibrotactile) paired with head-mounted display tracking.
- Paradigm: Baseline → Adaptation (with haptics for one group) → Washout.
- Signals: Candidate mappings piloted; a velocity-linked squeeze offered the clearest timing cue.
Study at a glance
| Dimension | What we did | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Task | Repeated 45° cut shot in VR with tracked hands & cue | Complex, multi-joint action; repeatable & analyzable |
| Groups | Haptics vs. visual-only control | Isolates the added value of wrist guidance |
| Phases | Baseline → Adaptation → Washout | Observe change with feedback, and what remains without it |
| Signals | Velocity-linked squeeze + two tactile “events” (slide/impact) | Maps to the spatiotemporal “feel” of the shot |
| Metrics | Shot-window hand kinematics + a simple outcome score | Separates efficiency from task success |
This post is a teaser. The paper reports what changed, when, and what persisted across phases.
Design menu we explored (pilot)
- Chosen Velocity-linked squeeze
- Delayed bilateral squeeze (100 ms offset)
- Hand-distance-linked squeeze
- Aim-accuracy-linked squeeze
Pilot participants preferred the velocity-linked mapping for conveying the shot’s timing and “feel.”
One-minute timeline
Baseline ──▶ Adaptation (with concurrent cues) ──▶ Washout
Figures & visual placeholders
Replace each placeholder with the corresponding figure from the paper. For convenience we reference the pages where these appear.
Insert paper Fig. 1 (see p. 6). Show HMD, trackers, Tasbi bands, and virtual table.
Insert paper Fig. 2 (see p. 7). Highlight the shot window and peak in the velocity profile.
Insert paper Fig. 3 (see p. 8). Example paths for cue & target balls.
Insert paper Fig. 4 (see p. 9). Time-series view across all trials.
Insert paper Fig. 5 (see p. 10). Phase-level summary visualization.
Insert paper Fig. 6 (see p. 11). Five-trial outcome averages as a visual cue (no values).
What to watch for (no spoilers!)
- Two kinds of “better”: one metric tracks movement efficiency, another tracks task success. They don’t always change in lockstep.
- Timing matters: some changes appear with the cues; others become clear after cues stop.
- Bimanual nuance: wrist cues on the shot-driving hand can influence the whole coordinated action.
- Design takeaway: mapping feedback to movement state (not just events) can feel informative rather than distracting.
How to read the paper
- Skim Methods for the signal-mapping rationale and the clean task design.
- Browse Results with an eye for efficiency vs. accuracy and phase-wise patterns.
- Don’t miss the Discussion on attention, proprioception, and design heuristics for training & rehab.
Who should care?
- VR training designers (sports, surgery, manufacturing)
- Rehab engineers & clinicians exploring wearable guidance
- HCI researchers moving beyond “click buzzes” to continuous cues
Read the full paper for the details, figures, and stats.
© Your Lab — This post summarizes and teases findings from our paper on concurrent wrist-based haptics for complex motor actions in VR. Replace placeholders with your assets and links.