How Vibration Feedback at Different Body Locations Affects Heart Rate and Task Performance

What is it about?

This study explores how vibration feedback that mimics heartbeats affects people's actual heart rate and performance on cognitive tasks when placed at four different body locations: chest, wrist, neck, and ankle. The researchers tested two vibration frequencies (50 and 110 beats per minute) and measured how these affected participants' heart activity, task performance, and subjective experience. They found that vibration location and frequency significantly impact heart rate - the neck placement increased heart rate and anxiety, while the chest was preferred by participants. High-frequency vibrations (110 bpm) generally increased heart rate, decreased heart rate variability (indicating higher stress), and led to faster response times on tasks. These findings can guide the design of wearable devices for managing stress, enhancing focus, and creating more immersive experiences.

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Why is it important?

This research breaks new ground by investigating how the body location of haptic (touch-based) feedback affects physiological responses and cognitive performance. Unlike previous studies that mostly focused on wrist-worn devices, this work compares four different body placements to determine which locations are most effective for specific goals. The findings provide valuable design guidelines for developers creating wearable technologies for health monitoring, stress management, gaming, and virtual reality experiences. This knowledge can lead to more effective devices that can deliberately alter heart activity to enhance focus, manage anxiety, or create immersive experiences without requiring users to consciously monitor their bodily signals. This has significant implications for fields like affective computing, health technology, and human-computer interaction.