Neuroprosthetic Haptic Interface and Haptic Stimulation: Neuromorphic Microtransduction and EEG Alpha Variations

Abstract

According to the recent studies on the psychophysiology of touch, a haptic effector designed in a neuromorphic way was projected, designing an electronic card as to be able to deliver variable signals over time and in intensity. The two-dimensional arrays of micro-actuators were made either with planar geometry or with three-dimensional, semi-spherical or “dome” geometry. Subsequently, on both the behavioral and the electrophysiological level the haptic sensation received by the effector was evaluated on 6 subjects and compared to real stimulations of different grains (Paper). During the various stimulations the subject was in a state of Resting State (RS). Each stimulation had a frequency range ranging from 2 to 500 Hz on 2 and 5 s. Analysis of behavioral responses and the alpha rhythm in RS showed significant differences for low frequencies vs Paper. RS highlighted differences in ROIs on the various frequency distributions, especially low frequencies in Frontal ROI. This pilot study indicates that the best frequencies for a haptic simulation are between a range from 20 Hz to 166 Hz.