VisceroHaptics: Investigating the Effects of Gut-based Audio-Haptic Feedback on Gastric Feelings and Gastric Interoceptive Behavior

2026-03-10

AI Summary

This study investigates the feasibility of non-invasively modulating gastric interoception and its subsequent effects on emotion and eating behavior. By applying audio-tactile feedback derived from gut sounds to the abdomen and employing the Water Load Test-II to quantify interoceptive responses, the research demonstrates for the first time that specific feedback patterns can significantly alter gastric interoception. This modulation not only effectively elicited subjective sensations such as hunger, fullness, thirst, and gastric discomfort but also led to a marked increase in participants’ water intake. These findings establish a novel paradigm for non-invasive interoceptive regulation and expand the boundaries of human-computer interaction in physiological perception interventions.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Brain-Sensing and Analysis
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Affective Computing
• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: The sharing economy
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy

Abstract

Gastric interoception influences eating behavior and emotions, making its modulation valuable for healthcare and human-computer-interaction applications. However, whether gastric interoception can be modulated noninvasively in humans remains unclear. While previous research indicates that abdominal-sound-driven haptic feedback resembles gut sensations, its impact on feelings and gastric interoceptive behavior is unknown. We conducted three experiments totalling 55 participants to investigate how gut-sound-driven audio-haptic feedback applied to the stomach (1) affects user's feelings (2) influences perception of hunger and satiety levels and (3) influences gastric interoceptive behavior, quantified with Water Load Test-II. Results revealed that audio-haptic feedback patterns (a) induced the feelings of hunger, fullness, thirst, stomach upset, (b) increased hunger level, and (c) significantly increased volumes of ingested water. This work provides the first evidence showing that audio-haptic stimulation can alter gastric interoceptive behavior, motivating the use of noninvasive methods to influence users' feelings and behaviors in future applications.

Problem

• gastric interoception
• audio-haptic feedback
• gut sensations
• noninvasive modulation
• eating behavior

Innovation

• gastric interoception
• audio-haptic feedback
• noninvasive modulation
• VisceroHaptics
• Water Load Test