Virtual Weight Illusion: Weight Perception of Virtual Objects Using Weight Illusions

Abstract

This study investigated whether weight illusions in virtual reality (VR) without haptic feedback occur as in the real world. In the experiment, we set up three scenarios to cause three different weight illusions in VR: the size–weight illusion (smaller objects look lighter but feel heavier than larger ones), brightness–weight illusion (brighter objects look lighter but feel heavier than darker ones), and material–weight illusion (lighter-looking materials, such as wood, look lighter but feel heavier than heavier-looking materials, such as metal). The experimental results indicated that the weight perceptions of the brightness–weight and material–weight illusions in VR were opposite to those in the real world. However, the weight perception of the size–weight illusion in VR was the same as in the real world. This study demonstrates how weight illusions occur in VR without haptic feedback, and classifies weight perceptions and the robustness of the illusions.