VR Calm Plus: Coupling a Squeezable Tangible Interaction with Immersive VR for Stress Regulation
He Zhang, Xinyang Li, Xingyu Zhou, Xinyi Fu · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26) · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790548
Summary
Zhang and colleagues build and evaluate VR Calm Plus, a VR stress-regulation system that pairs an immersive Meta Quest 3 experience with a squeezable plush toy instrumented with two force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) and a wireless biosensing wristband measuring photoplethysmography and electrodermal activity. Squeeze pressure is linearly mapped (0-80,000 raw units) via an Arduino Mega to Unity, driving particle colour, particle motion, and music pitch in three sequential VR scenes: Adaptation and Shaping (free-form squeeze modulating a glowing particle orb), Interaction and Guidance (rhythm-matching squeezes on the 1st and 3rd beats of 108-BPM music), and Meditation and Relaxation (a fixed 6-bpm breathing-pacer with 4s inhale / 6s exhale). The design uses the MDA (Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics) framework to connect squeeze input, run-time dynamics, and targeted emotional outcomes. Forty participants (22 female, 18 male, ages 19-66, mean 28) completed a within-subjects crossover comparing the Squeeze Interaction condition with an Audio-Visual-only baseline in the same scenes, counterbalanced by order. Outcome measures included PANAS-X before, mid, and post each condition; a 16-item custom subjective questionnaire covering immersion, enjoyment, sense of control, emotional resonance, relaxation, and emotion regulation; physiological signals (heart rate, galvanic skin response, pulse rate variability); and semi-structured interviews.
Key findings
The Squeeze Interaction condition significantly outperformed the Audio-Visual baseline on several affective dimensions: Attentiveness (p = .023), Serenity (p = .030), Surprise (p = .019), At Ease (p = .003, Cohen's d = 0.51), Joyful (p = .037), and Attentive (p = .011). On the subjective questionnaire, squeeze scored higher for Enjoyment (4.15 vs. 3.73, p = .027), Sense of Control (4.40 vs. 3.52, p = .001), Ease of Use (4.65 vs. 4.12, p = .012), and Emotional Resonance (4.12 vs. 3.65, p = .030). Physiologically the authors describe a state of "active relaxation": squeeze induced significantly deeper heart-rate reduction (ΔHR = -0.54 vs. -0.13, p < .001), sustained skin-conductance activation (ΔGSR = +0.08 vs. +0.02, p < .001 — i.e., engagement preserved), and critically preserved pulse-rate variability (ΔPRV = -4.61 vs. -20.42, p < .001), meaning the Audio-Visual condition produced a sharp loss of autonomic flexibility that squeeze interaction buffered. Qualitative data explained the mechanism: participants described improved focus through sensorimotor grounding, enhanced sense of control, and deeper immersion via multisensory coherence of force, colour, and sound. The authors caution that excessive sense of control (pressure to force "correct" breath pacing, P39) or overly demanding rhythm tasks can trigger fatigue and shift attention from internal regulation to external performance.
Relevance
For accessibility and mental-health technology practitioners, this paper makes a focused case that VR stress-regulation tools should not assume audio-visual immersion is sufficient: adding a simple, low-cost tangible squeeze channel (FSR-in-a-plush-toy) meaningfully changed both self-reported affect and autonomic physiology. Design takeaways that transfer outside VR include: prefer direct linear mapping over smoothing for immediate agency, keep sense-of-control moderate (too little feels passive, too much shifts regulation into performance anxiety), and pair active high-arousal phases with unstructured free-form phases so users can self-pace. For disability contexts the paper is suggestive rather than demonstrative — participants were recruited without disability criteria and people with heart disease, hypertension, or motion sickness were excluded — but the general finding that embodied squeeze mitigates the autonomic rigidity induced by purely visual relaxation apps is directly relevant to anxiety management, chronic-stress work, and stim-friendly sensory design. Key limitations: all participants were Chinese, the lab session was short (≈50 min), elderly and child samples are sparse, and cultural norms around affect expression likely shape both squeeze use and PANAS-X self-report. Future work should test with clinical anxiety populations and over longer durations.
Tags: virtual reality · stress management · haptics · affective haptics · tangible interaction · embodied cognition · mental health · emotion regulation · biofeedback · multimodal interaction