Haptic-Assisted Soldering Training Protocol in Virtual Reality: The Impact of Scaffolded Guidance

In this paper, we present a virtual training platform for soldering based on immersive visual feedback (i.e., a Virtual Reality (VR) headset) and scaffolded guidance (i.e., disappearing throughout the training) provided through a haptic device (Phantom Omni). We conducted a between-subject user study experiment with four conditions (2D monitor with no guidance, VR with no guidance, VR with constant, active guidance, and VR with scaffolded guidance) to evaluate their performance in terms of procedural memory, motor skills in VR, and skill transfer to real life. Our results showed that the scaffolded guidance offers the most effective transitioning from the virtual training to the real-life task - even though the VR with no guidance group has the best performance during the virtual training. These findings are critical for the industry and academy looking for safer and more effective training techniques, leading to better learning outcomes in real-life implementations. Furthermore, this work offers new insights into further haptic research in skill transfer and learning approaches while offering information on the possibilities of haptic-assisted VR training for complex skills, such as welding and medical stitching.