Characteristics of information transmission rates using noncontact tactile display

Abstract

Recently, tactile interfaces, which are user interfaces that employ tactile perception for input/output, have been the focus of an increasing number of studies. However, tactile interface design guidelines to help optimize the characteristics of human tactile perception have not yet been fully developed. Thus, the objective of the study was to identify the influence of perception of phantom sensation on the location of stimulus presentation on the palm. For this purpose, a noncontact tactile display with an independent driven 12 by 12 matrix air-jet driver was constructed. The subjects orally responded one of following three perception levels, i.e., (1) a crisp phantom sensation was obtained, (2) incomplete phantom sensation was perceived due to scattered stimuli, and (3) only separate stimuli were perceived and no integrated perception was generated. Phantom sensation was perceived apparently at the proximal side of the index finger compared to the wrist areas. The obtained topography drastically changed between subjects, suggesting that each individual has different distribution of perceived phantom sensations. Future study included the range of securely perceived phantom sensations for determining the specifications of tactile displays. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.