Designing and developing a haptic feedback wearable to improve motor task performance : A case study on the squat

In this report the development of a haptic feedback wearable to improve motor task performance is described. Haptic feedback has many applications, including in the sports domain. In this case study the difference between haptic actuator placements and their influence on motor task performance was investigated. The difference between a localized and movement-specific feedback location and a more generic location on performance was tested using a squat as the motor task. For this purpose a wearable device that provides vibrotactile feedback on two areas of squat technique; squat depth, and contact of the heels with the ground, was designed. This wearable was then tested on 20 participants which were divided into two groups. For one group the haptic actuators were placed on the location of measurement, and for the other group they were placed on both wrists, simulating a pair of smartwatches. Based on the data from this experiment, no significant difference was found in performance between the two groups. Therefore, it can be concluded that in this specific application, placement of haptic actuators has no direct influence on motor task performance.