Image Credit: Image by the authors
What if you could feel the pressures of body image anxiety — literally? That’s the premise behind EmBelt, a groundbreaking SIGGRAPH 2024 project that merges haptic technology with immersive VR storytelling to simulate the emotional and physical sensations associated with eating disorders and body image concerns. EmBelt aims to foster empathy, awareness, and deeper understanding through an XR experience that’s both innovative and impactful. SIGGRAPH sat down with Hsuan-Hui Yi to hear insights into the technology, inspiration, and future applications behind this powerful tool.
SIGGRAPH: What inspired the creation of EmBelt, and how does it address the challenges of understanding body image concerns and eating disorders?
Hsuan-Hui Yi (HY): The creation of EmBelt was influenced by personal experiences and by witnessing the silent struggles of people around us who live with body image anxiety and eating disorders. Our goal was to help bridge the gap in understanding by letting users not just learn about, but momentarily feel the emotional and physical weight of body image pressure. By integrating interactive virtual environments with synchronized haptic feedback, the system simulates aspects of body image anxiety, social pressure, and the physical sensations associated with disordered eating behaviors.
SIGGRAPH: How does the integration of haptic feedback enhance the XR experience and contribute to a deeper emotional or psychological impact for users?
HY: Haptic feedback plays a central role in EmBelt, adding a tangible layer that bridges the user’s body with the emotional narrative. The belt is designed to dynamically tighten or loosen in response to specific interactions — such as eating in front of a virtual crowd, scrolling through social media posts, or confronting one’s reflection in a mirror. These physical sensations simulate the real-world discomfort and pressure often associated with body image anxiety, making the experience more visceral and immediate. Users shared that the belt’s tightening induced feelings of unease or vulnerability, which in turn sparked more open and honest conversations about eating disorders.
SIGGRAPH: How does interacting with a virtual reflection influence the user’s experience, and why was that element important to include in the VR environment?
HY: The virtual mirror scene is a pivotal element in EmBelt, capturing how individuals with body image concerns often perceive themselves in ways that diverge from how others see them. In this scene, the user’s avatar shifts through various body types — even into distorted, non-human forms — in response to their actions. This dynamic transformation mirrors the perceptual disconnect many people with eating-related struggles describe.
By introducing this unsettling gap between movement and appearance, we invite users to briefly experience the discomfort and confusion that often accompany body image disturbances. Watching oneself in a mirror is an intensely personal and emotional act; by bringing this moment into VR, it creates a space for introspection that is harder for static media to replicate.
SIGGRAPH: Looking ahead, how do you see EmBelt being used outside of research — such as in education, therapy, or public awareness efforts?
HY: We believe EmBelt has the potential to make a meaningful impact beyond the research lab. In educational settings, it could be used to help students and educators understand the psychological and physiological dimensions of body image issues.
For therapy, EmBelt could become a tool for clinicians to open conversations with patients who have difficulty articulating their experiences. The interactive nature allows users to externalize feelings that are often invisible or difficult to explain.
Moreover, as part of public awareness campaigns or museum exhibitions, EmBelt can act as an empathy machine — immersing people in scenarios that challenge their assumptions and provoke meaningful reflection. We hope to continue developing the system and eventually make it more accessible across platforms, potentially adapting it for mobile VR or even standalone haptic installations.
Ready to discover more thought-provoking and impactful technology? Check out the full schedule to see what’s in store for SIGGRAPH 2025, and register now to join us in Vancouver, 10-14 August.
Hsuan-Hui Yi is an interdisciplinary creator with a background in Industrial Engineering from National Tsing Hua University. She specializes in XR and haptics, focusing on crafting immersive, interactive systems that fuse advanced technology with human-centered design. Currently, she is a mechatronics intern at Logitech, contributing to the development of innovative gaming keyboard experiences.
