TactileWalk: Dynamic Electrotactile Patterns for Fingertip-Based Interaction During Walking

TL;DR

TactileWalk introduces a wearable fingertip device that uses dynamic electrotactile patterns to improve navigation cues during walking, demonstrating high accuracy and user preference for simple, redundant patterns in eyes-free conditions.

Contribution

This work presents a novel wearable electrotactile display with independent electrode control for dynamic pattern rendering during walking, validated through recognition studies.

Findings

Double Line pattern achieved 90.83% accuracy during walking.

Participants preferred Double Line and vertical motion cues.

Simple linear patterns were recognized more accurately than complex shapes.

Abstract

TactileWalk evaluates dynamic electrotactile patterns on fingertips for wearable navigation. We developed a fingertip stimulation prototype featuring a 10x6 electrode grid driven by an ESP32 microcontroller and high-voltage drivers to enable rapid, independent electrode activation for spatiotemporal pattern rendering. This research compares three dynamic patterns- Single Line, Double Line, and Box-across eight directions presented on the tactile display at the fingertip. Study 1 (stationary) revealed that simple linear patterns were recognized significantly more accurately than complex shapes. Study 2 (walking) confirmed these cues remain robust under movement, where the Double Line pattern yielded the highest accuracy (90.83%). Participants consistently preferred the reinforcing Double Line and found vertical motion more intuitive while walking. We propose design implications for mobile haptics, advocating for simple, spatially redundant patterns to minimize cognitive load during eyes-free navigation.