Propeller-based Handheld Force-feedback Device for Navigation

This article presents an evaluation of CrazyJoystick, a propeller-based handheld force-feedback device, for spatial navigation tasks in real-world and virtual reality environments. Building upon prior work validating the device's on-demand aerial deployment and directional cue discriminability, we investigated whether propeller-based kinesthetic torque cues can support effective wayfinding during continuous locomotion. We developed navigation-specific algorithms that generate egocentric directional cues using hierarchical decision logic optimized for dynamic heading corrections. Two user studies (N=12) compared CrazyJoystick with vibrotactile baselines. Study 1 evaluated multi-waypoint navigation through four path configurations in a real-world environment with visual occlusion; CrazyJoystick reduced completion time by 54.6% and path deviation by 25.8% relative to vibrotactile guidance. Study 2 assessed target localization in a VR treasure hunt with minimal lighting; CrazyJoystick enabled 43.2% faster completion and 79% higher walking speeds. Both studies revealed consistent workload reductions. These findings demonstrate that propeller-based kinesthetic feedback supports efficient navigation during sustained locomotion, establishing propeller-based torque directional cues as a viable alternative to vibrotactile encoding for dynamic wayfinding tasks.