A 2-dof skin stretch display on palm: Effect of stimulation shape, speed and intensity

Abstract

Skin stretch has been widely utilized as a tactile display in different haptic applications. However, there has been little research focusing on skin stretch as a modality on the palm of the hand. In this study, a two dimensional tactor apparatus was designed and built to investigate the effects of stimulation speeds, shapes and intensities of skin stretch display on the palm. The tactor moved across the palm at different speeds to create stimulation shapes on the skin. Subjects reported the intensity of perceived stimuli and predicted speed rate of the tactor and stimulation shape and size. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the intensity of perceived tactile displays between different stimulation shapes and sizes. The results also showed the sizes and intensity of the stimulus grow larger with slower tactor speeds.