Force perception of human finger using a multi-fingered haptic interface

Abstract

In contrast with single-point haptic interfaces, multi-fingered haptic interfaces have great potential to dramatically increase the believability of the haptic experience. When a user uses a multi-fingered haptic interface, the user receives a force sensation through each finger holder. The force sensation is derived from the contact surfaces between the human fingertips and the finger holders. Therefore, to increase the believability of the haptic experience of the multi-fingered haptic interface, it is necessary to investigate and clarify the human perception of the force presented by the haptic interface. Here, we introduce the multi-fingered haptic interface robot HIRO III that was developed by our research group, and we then investigate the human perception of fingertip force using HIRO III.