Inertial-Force Feedback for the Treadport Locomotion Interface

The inertial force due to the acceleration of a locomotion interface is identified as a difference between virtual and real-world locomotion. To counter the inertial force, inertial-force feedback was implemented for the Treadport, a locomotion interface. A force controller was designed for a mechanical tether to apply the feedback force to the user. For the case of the user accelerating forward from rest, psychophysical ex periments showed that subjects preferred inertial-force feedback to a spring-feedback force proportional to position or to position control, where the force feedback maintained a force of zero on the subject.