Understanding Continuous and Pleasant Linear Sensations on the Forearm from a Sequential Discrete Lateral Skin-Slip Haptic Device

TL;DR

This study explores how a sequential lateral skin-slip haptic device can produce continuous and pleasant sensations on the forearm, with implications for designing future wearable haptic interfaces.

Contribution

It demonstrates that discrete lateral skin-slip can create continuous, pleasant sensations and identifies optimal actuation parameters for such effects.

Findings

Perceived continuous and pleasant sensations at specific apparent speeds.

Optimal apparent speeds for continuity and pleasantness are 7.7 and 5.1 cm/s.

Pleasant sensations are maintained even with 40 mm spacing between contact points.

Abstract

A continuous stroking sensation on the skin can convey messages or emotion cues. We seek to induce this sensation using a combination of illusory motion and lateral stroking via a haptic device. Our system provides discrete lateral skin-slip on the forearm with rotating tactors, which independently provide lateral skin-slip in a timed sequence. We vary the sensation by changing the angular velocity and delay between adjacent tactors, such that the apparent speed of the perceived stroke ranges from 2.5 to 48.2 cm/s. We investigated which actuation parameters create the most pleasant and continuous sensations through a user study with 16 participants. On average, the sensations were rated by participants as both continuous and pleasant. The most continuous and pleasant sensations were created by apparent speeds of 7.7 and 5.1 cm/s, respectively. We also investigated the effect of spacing between contact points on the pleasantness and continuity of the stroking sensation, and found that the users experience a pleasant and continuous linear sensation even when the space between contact points is relatively large (40 mm). Understanding how sequential discrete lateral skin-slip creates continuous linear sensations can influence the design and control of future wearable haptic devices.