Haptic Perception in VR: Virtual Presence and Immersion

Recent advances in visual and auditory technologies have significantly enhanced user performance and experience in Virtual Reality (VR). However, fully immersive interaction remains constrained by the limited practicality, scalability, and generalizability of current haptic technologies. While haptic feedback is known to shape perception, cognition, and motor control during virtual interaction, the field is still developing principled approaches for delivering effective touch sensations using simple, adaptable, and context-aware solutions. In particular, growing evidence suggests that the human brain can reinterpret minimal haptic cues—such as vibrotactile stimulation—through multisensory integration with vision and sound, enabling convincing sensations even when feedback is spatially relocated or physically simplified.This Research Topic aims to investigate how minimalistic haptic feedback strategies can support manipulation and exploration in virtual environments while enhancing immersion and presence. We are especially interested in psychophysical and interaction-focused studies that examine how users integrate simplified or relocated haptic cues with other sensory modalities to construct meaningful touch experiences.We invite contributions that advance the understanding and design of scalable haptic solutions for interactive VR, including but not limited to:• psychophysical investigations of simplified haptic cues in virtual interaction,• relocation and redirection of haptic feedback across body locations,• vibrotactile and other minimal stimulation approaches for diverse touch sensations,• multisensory integration and cross-modal perception in VR,• haptic rendering strategies that leverage visual and auditory context,• application-driven evaluations in rehabilitation, training, teleoperation, and education.We welcome original research, reviews, technical reports, tutorials, and system-oriented studies that deepen our understanding of how the brain integrates minimal and multimodal haptic signals to support interactive behavior and the sense of presence in virtual environments. Topic editors: Mine Sarac, Fabio Stroppa, Kyle Yoshida Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/74383/haptic-perception-in-vr-virtual-presence-and-immersion