Fooling the size–weight illusion—Using augmented reality to eliminate the effect of size on perceptions of heaviness and sensorimotor prediction

Augmented reality, whereby computer-generated images are overlaid onto the physical environment, is becoming significant part of the world of education and training. Little is known, however, about how these external images are treated by the sensorimotor system of the user – are they fully integrated into the external environmental cues, or largely ignored by low-level perceptual and motor processes? Here, we examined this question in the context of the size–weight illusion (SWI). Thirty-two participants repeatedly lifted and reported the heaviness of two cubes of unequal volume but equal mass in alternation. Half of the participants saw semi-transparent equally sized holographic cubes superimposed onto the physical cubes through a head-mounted display. Fingertip force rates were measured prior to lift-off to determine how the holograms influenced sensorimotor prediction, while verbal reports of heaviness after each lift indicated how the holographic size cues influenced the SWI. As expected, participants who lifted without augmented visual cues lifted the large object at a higher rate of force than the small object on early lifts and experienced a robust SWI across all trials. In contrast, participants who lifted the (apparently equal-sized) augmented cubes used similar force rates for each object. Furthermore, they experienced no SWI during the first lifts of the objects, with a SWI developing over repeated trials. These results indicate that holographic cues initially dominate physical cues and cognitive knowledge, but are dismissed when conflicting with cues from other senses.