VR 온라인 쇼핑몰에서 햅틱 디바이스가 제품평가에 미치는 영향 - 소파 구매 행위를 중심으로 -

Abstract

Due to the continuous growth of the online store market, which has been futher accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, online stores have become an essential part of our daily lives. However, the limitation of online shopping is that customers cannot directly touch and feel the products. Product information plays a significant role in customers’ purchasing decisions, especially for expensive and low-frequency products such as furniture, where customers make an effort to obtain more accurate information. This paper aims to explore the current state of haptic devices in VR stores and their impact on customer experiences and purchasing decisions. Specifically, the objective of this study is to develop a hpatic device that can convey tactile information about products in a VR (Virtual Reality) store and to confirm whether this device enhances customers’ VR shopping experience. As a result, we developed the haptic device HAPsurface, which delivers the surface texture of products to the user’s fingertips in a VR environment. We then conducted a comparative experiment (N=66) by creating an experimental VR store and providing customers with information about the texture of a sofa to confirm whether customers have more confidence in their purchasing decisions. The results of the experiment confirm that tactile information can have a significant impact on customers’ shopping experiences in VR.