While haptic interfaces for virtual reality (VR) has received extensive research attention, on-face haptics in VR remained less explored, especially for virtual food intake. In this paper, we introduce VirCHEW Reality, a face-worn haptic device designed to provide on-face kinesthetic force feedback, to enhance the virtual food-chewing experience in VR. Leveraging a pneumatic actuation system, VirCHEW Reality controlled the process of air inflation and deflation, to simulate the mechanical properties of food textures, such as hardness, cohesiveness, and stickiness. Our findings highlighted possible applications in virtual/remote dining, healthcare, and immersive entertainment.

Authors: Qingqin Liu, Ziqi Fang, Jiayi Wu, Shaoyu Cai, Jianhui Yan, and Kening Zhu (*).