Author: Libby Egan

Over the past fourteen weeks, the Haptic Wave team embarked on an ambitious and exploratory journey. While we set out to investigate the intersection of haptics and audio, what we gained stretched far beyond technical know-how — it was an experience in collaboration, communication, and navigating the unknown.

Expanding Sensory Boundaries

At its core, Haptic Wave was an inquiry into how we could tell stories and enable navigation experiences without relying on visuals. Our guiding questions were clear:

1. How do we successfully design audio- and haptic-driven wayfinding mechanics, while maintaining minimal visuals?
2. How can we craft unique experiences that communicate a story using only audio and haptics?

These two pillars framed every decision we made.

The Village Behind the Project

This project could not have existed without the remarkable community that surrounded us. We collaborated with external programmers, consulted with a brilliant subject matter expert, and leaned heavily on the advice and encouragement of dedicated faculty members. Navigating tight deadlines tested our interpersonal communication skills — especially as none of us came into the semester with prior experience in audio engineering or haptic design. Learning to communicate clearly, set realistic expectations, and manage an evolving production pipeline were as valuable as the prototypes we created.

Our Prototyping Process

We taught ourselves about sound frequencies and how they translate into haptic sensations, experimented with audio design techniques like binaural and spatial audio, and ultimately built a quadraphonic six-channel setup in Reaper. We also experimented with a variety of haptic devices, including Meta Quest controllers, bass shakers, and custom-built microcontroller rigs.

Our work culminated in two prototypes:

1. Audio and Haptic-Driven Navigation Prototype

We designed a first-person VR game to explore how visually-abled users would navigate a space using only sound. The core mechanics included:

• Sound Beacon: A directional sound emitted from the destination point to guide users.
• Echo Navigation: Players sent out a sound probe to detect invisible obstacles, receiving haptic feedback if blocked.

We iteratively reduced visuals — first hiding obstacles, then eliminating all visual elements — forcing players to fully rely on sound cues. Through extensive playtesting, we discovered that simplifying level design (starting with cubes and spheres) made navigation clearer and less overwhelming. Later, we layered in complexity with additional obstacles.

Key discoveries:

• Distinct, exaggerated sounds were critical for clarity.
• Overstimulating or repetitive sounds were quickly fatiguing.
• Introducing footstep sounds helped players perceive their own movement, a surprisingly necessary addition.

2. Spatial Audio and Haptic Floor Sensory Experience

For our second prototype, we constructed a 4ft x 4ft haptic floor using bass shakers and combined it with a four-directional speaker setup. Our goal was to explore narrative storytelling through pure sound and touch.

We began with nature soundscapes — jungle animals, birds, and a dramatic stampede — testing how haptics could enhance immersion. During playtests, guests imagined a variety of environments (volcanoes, subways, camping), showing us that a minimal narrative context was essential to guide interpretation.

We then evolved the prototype into a meditation simulation pod with a light narrative:

• A calm, AI-guided nature soundscape that gradually “glitched” into more complex, busy sound environments.
• Haptic vibrations synchronized to the soundscape, designed to evoke emotion and sensation.

Key considerations we developed:

• Layer sounds gradually to aid mental visualization.
• Use recognizable, stereotypical sounds for quicker participant recognition.
• Align haptic feedback with emotional beats and sonic events.
• Balance narrative dialogue with sensory immersion — “show, don’t tell.”

Lessons in Production

Beyond design, we gained invaluable production lessons:

• Working asynchronously with external programmers taught us to over-communicate details and adjust deliverable expectations, as external workflows differ from ETC norms.
• Discovery-driven projects require structured flexibility — balancing open-ended exploration with clear milestones to stay on track.
• Rapid iteration and constant playtesting informed every pivot we made.

Team Takeaways

Entering the semester, none of us were audio or haptics experts. By the end, we had successfully built two functioning prototypes, deepened our technical understanding, and most importantly, learned how to prototype in an unfamiliar medium — a skill that will serve us long after this project.

Looking Forward

We compiled our findings into a documentation package for future ETC students and potential employers, outlining:

• What worked and what didn’t
• Design decisions and rationale
• Playtest insights and future directions

For those exploring audio and haptic design, we believe this space holds enormous potential for inclusivity. While our project wasn’t explicitly accessibility-focused, creating experiences built on non-visual modalities opens up pathways to richer, more accommodating interactions for diverse audiences.

Future Possibilities

If we had additional time to iterate, here’s where we would go next:

For Audio-Driven Navigation

• Integrate Unity Analytics to track player patterns
• Experiment with new audio interaction techniques
• Build a full game loop
• Integrate directional haptic cues, not just feedback

For the Sensory Experience

• Collaborate with experienced sound designers
• Validate ease-of-use and build processes
• Integrate interactive elements via Unity
• Add wearable haptics (e.g., haptic vests)

Final Thoughts

Haptic Wave taught us that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in haptic and audio design. People instinctively seek visual cues, so thoughtful sound and touch design is required to bridge that gap. Building custom devices, embracing flexibility, and always making time to “just try” were keys to our success.

We’re excited to see how future designers will expand this space — and we’re proud to have contributed to its foundation.

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Week 14: Final Presentation and Reflections

This week marked the end of our project journey, and our primary objective was to complete and deliver all final components: the presentation, the design document, the video, and updates to our project website.

Objective of the Week:
Deliver a successful final presentation and submit all remaining project deliverables.

We’re happy to report that our final presentation went smoothly! It was a great opportunity to share our work and demonstrate how our sensory exploration prototype came together. During the presentation, we received thoughtful questions from the audience, which gave us a chance to reflect more deeply on our design process. Key Questions & Our Responses:

1. How did you match sounds with directionality, and what was your audio process design?
   
   • We explained that directionality was achieved through spatial audio, not haptics. To guide users through the experience, we introduced soundscape elements one by one. This layering allowed participants to gradually form a mental image, creating a more immersive and intuitive exploration.
     
2. Why did some users interpret fear, and were you aiming for that emotion?
   
   • Our goal wasn’t to focus heavily on conveying specific emotions. Instead, we aimed to make the experience effective and open to interpretation. Interestingly, many users reported feelings of surprise from the directional sound and haptic floor, while others described the experience as meditative. Emotional responses varied, highlighting how personal and subjective sensory experiences can be.
     

Final Thoughts:
Wrapping up the project with the final presentation felt both rewarding and insightful. The feedback we received will be incredibly valuable for any future iterations. We’re proud of how the project evolved and how it resonated with users in unexpected and meaningful ways.

Link Presentation

Week 13: Final Presentation Prep and Wrap-Up

As we reached Week 13, the focus shifted entirely to bringing everything together for our final presentation. This was a crucial week as we aimed to prepare not just a polished presentation but also a functional and engaging demo that showcased the culmination of our project.

Objective of the Week:
Our main goals were to finalize the design document, create the final presentation with detailed speaking notes, and prepare the RPIS sound system for the demo. We also dedicated time to rehearsing both as a group and in front of faculty to ensure a smooth and confident delivery.

Challenges of the Week:
The biggest hurdle was time. With so many final elements coming together simultaneously, it was a race to complete everything on schedule while also ensuring the quality and cohesion of our work. We had to make sure that both the presentation and the live demonstration worked flawlessly.

What We Completed:

• Finished building and testing the face motors, and designed how to properly attach them to the structure.
  
• Created and practiced our final presentation, including a live demo to illustrate our progress and results.
  
• Finalized all project components including artwork, sound design, interactive elements, and the environmental setup to create an immersive experience.
  

As we wrapped up the week, it was incredibly rewarding to see all of our hard work come together. The presentation felt like a celebration of everything we’ve learned and accomplished throughout the project.

Gearing Up for Playtest Day: Haptic Waves in Full Swing

The countdown is on for Saturday’s highly anticipated playtest day, and the Haptic Waves team has been in full preparation mode all week. With two immersive experiences in development, our goal is to test both: our Navigation Through Sound VR experience and our Passive Immersive Nature Haptic experience.

Stripping VR Back to the Basics

For the VR experience, we followed our consultant’s advice and brought the level design back to basics. Instead of focusing on complex visuals, we simplified the environment using basic shapes. This shift allows us to zero in on the raw interaction between user and sound—exploring how people perceive and navigate spaces using audio alone. It’s a fascinating way to deepen our understanding of sensory-driven gameplay and refine the design with quick, focused iterations.

Immersive Nature Gets a Sound Upgrade

Our Passive Immersive Nature scene also got a major boost this week. We transitioned to a new mixing board and began setting up Benjamin’s evolving soundscape with our upgraded speaker system. The goal here is to create a rich, ambient environment that can be passively experienced through touch and sound, offering a unique and relaxing multisensory moment.

Underwater/Echolocation: A Medium for Understanding

The Underwater/Echolocation project continues to evolve into a powerful tool for the ETC team. It’s helping us explore how users navigate environments using only sound versus a combination of sound and visuals. This research will directly inform better game design, as we work on fast iteration techniques for building and refining levels. Ultimately, we aim to develop a flexible system that empowers the ETC team to quickly prototype new scenarios.

Surround Sound Setup Locked In

Big news on the hardware front: our multi-channel speaker setup in Room 3306 is now live. Channels 1 through 4 are active, and our floor haptic device is routed through channel 5. Dave Purta is currently working on channel 6, which will power the subwoofer. Dave also recommended moving away from a traditional 5.1 surround setup in favor of discrete 6-channel audio, giving us more flexibility in how we spatialize sound in the room.

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As we head into playtest day, the team is excited to see how our ideas hold up in action. Whether it’s underwater echolocation or a tranquil nature scene, we’re one step closer to unlocking the future of immersive sound-based interaction.

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Holding Down the Fort: A Solo Week of Haptics, Hardware, and Sound Design

While the rest of the team was off at GDC (the Game Developers Conference), Libby held it down at home base, making the most of a quiet week to push forward in preparation for next week’s big playtest day.

Prepping for Playtest Progress

With the clock ticking toward our next major milestone, the focus this week was on getting all systems go so we could hit the ground running when everyone returned. Libby teamed up with our incredible tech team and external programmers to build momentum and make sure nothing was left idle.

Microcontroller Magic: Setting Up the Adafruit Huzzah

One of the big wins of the week was getting the new Adafruit Huzzah microcontroller up and running. With help from Bryan, we brought our programmer Petr up to speed, and together they got the code operational using CircuitPython. Not only that—they built a custom UI that lets us control the speed, sequence, and type of vibrations we send to the microcontroller. This gives us a powerful tool to prototype and test haptic feedback on the fly.

Surround Sound + Haptics = Audio Playground

Libby also teamed up with Dave P to integrate the 5.1 surround sound system with our existing setup: the subwoofer, floor haptic, mixing board, and laptop. Once everything was connected, the real fun began. We dove into Reaper, a digital audio workstation, and started experimenting with spatial sound design and how it feels when combined with haptic feedback. The whole setup became a playground for testing immersive, multisensory experiences.

Testing the Test Itself

To round out the week, Libby joined a mini playtest session with Anthony’s students. Although juggling both of our experiences in a single session proved tricky, it was a valuable reminder of how important playtest design is—not just what you test, but how you test it. The feedback and observations from this session gave us fresh insight into how we can structure our next round of testing more effectively.

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From setting up hardware to testing vibrations and sound, this solo week was anything but quiet. With new tools and systems now in place, we’re more than ready to level up for playtest day.

Spring Break in the Lab: Diving into Adafruit and Prepping for GDC

While many were enjoying a well-earned break, Danni stayed behind to keep the momentum going. With a quiet lab and some uninterrupted time, she dove into research, tackled tech hurdles, and got everything prepped for the road ahead—including her upcoming trip to GDC.

Rethinking Microcontrollers: From Feather Sense to HUZZAH32

Earlier, we had built a motor prototype with Vivian using Adafruit’s Feather Sense microcontroller. While promising, the setup came with a big limitation—it required a Mac-only application to run the software. That restriction made further development tricky, especially for a multi-platform team.

Over the break, Danni took the reins to find a more flexible solution. After researching alternatives, she landed on the Adafruit HUZZAH32 – ESP32 Feather Board. This microcontroller offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, which opens up exciting possibilities for designing and controlling haptic sensations directly through code—without being locked to a specific OS.

Catching Up & Looking Ahead

The quiet week also gave Danni time to catch up on blog posts and documentation—something that often takes a back seat during busier times. With everything up to date and a clearer roadmap in place, she wrapped the week by prepping for her upcoming trip to GDC, where she’ll reconnect with the team and soak up insights from the wider game development community.

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Whether it’s deep tech dives or catching up on the behind-the-scenes work that keeps projects moving, Danni made the most of spring break—and we’re all better positioned because of it.

Week in Review: Prototypes, Playtesting, and Progress

This week, our main objective was to build prototypes and begin the playtesting process, all while navigating the usual hurdles. One of the challenges we encountered was the complexity of cross-campus communication, especially when coordinating with external team members. Additionally, we had to sift through feedback carefully, determining which insights were applicable to the project.

Here’s what we accomplished:

For the rite of passage, we successfully built the floor haptics and completed the handoff. We experimented with sound waves to simulate the effect of a stampede, which added a unique touch to the experience. A 3D hotkey prototype was created to represent a lurking predator, and while we took steps to create a wireless motor, we’re still waiting for a meeting with our SME to finalize the build.

For the echolocation feature, we crafted both visual and audio prototypes. After some consideration, we decided to scale the project down to use the Woojer vest. This choice was made because the Woojer vest doesn’t rely on a separate code base—it’s sound-driven, which aligns better with our needs. We also had to iterate on the game scene, shifting from a sea bottom setting to the middle due to shader problems with the Unity terrain.

All in all, it was a productive week with tangible progress made on both fronts. We’re looking forward to refining our work further and making the most of the upcoming play testing!