Haptic force perception in bimanual manipulation

Abstract

Haptic systems are used increasingly in various applications. The effectiveness of such systems depends greatly on the human perceptual characteristics, and the nature of the application being implemented (precision needed, speed and movement type involved, etc.). This study assesses the variations in perceptual limitations of the dominant and non-dominant hand, when engaged in a synchronous movement. Results showed that both hands are less sensitive to force variation when operating together. Statistical analysis showed a high confidence in the significance of the results obtained for the non-dominant hand versus the low confidence for the dominant hand. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.