Would Users Accept Electric Muscle Stimulation Controlling their Body? Insights from a Scenario-based Investigation

Abstract

Electric muscle stimulation (EMS) offers rich opportunities for haptic interaction. However, there is no comprehensive study assessing the user acceptance of this technology. Consequently, we synthesized four scenarios (motor learning, virtual reality, media player control, and pedestrian safety) based on various dimensions identified by the literature review. We assessed their user acceptance in an online survey (N=113) using the technology acceptance model (TAM). Our findings suggest that users may reject EMS systems if they perceive a high level of risk and lack of control over the environment. This was evident even in scenarios that could provide high benefits to users, such as accelerating the learning curve in motoric tasks. In contrast, EMS seems to be widely accepted for games and entertainment, represented by the virtual reality scenario in our study. HCI researchers should employ EMS to create more engaging VR experiences, keep users in control, and provide them the option of learning skills with or without EMS. Our results will help build better EMS systems accepted by users.