Perceived Cooling Using Asymmetrically-Applied Hot and Cold Stimuli

Temperature perception is a highly nonlinear phenomenon with faster rates of change being perceived at much lower thresholds than slower rates. This paper presents a method that takes advantage of this nonlinear characteristic to generate a perception of continuous cooling even though the average temperature is not changing. The method uses multiple thermal actuators so that a few are cooling quickly while the rest of the actuators are heating slowly. The slowly-heating actuators are below the perceptual threshold temperature change and hence are not perceived, while the quickly-cooling actuators are above the perceptual temperature change, hence are perceived. As a result, a feeling of decreasing temperature was elicited, when in fact, there was no net change in the temperature of the skin. Three sets of judiciously designed experiments were conducted in this study, investigating the effects of actuator sizes, forearm measurement locations, patterns of actuator layout, and various heating/cooling time cycles. Our results showed that 19 out 21 participants perceived the continuous cooling effect as hypothesized. Our research indicates that the measurement location, heating/cooling cycle times, and arrangement of the actuators affect the perception of continuous cooling.

[1]  D. Kenshalo,et al.  Warm and cool thresholds as a function of rate of stimulus temperature change , 1968 .

[2]  J. Ochoa,et al.  Warm and cold specific somatosensory systems. Psychophysical thresholds, reaction times and peripheral conduction velocities. , 1991, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[3]  A. Loescher,et al.  Adaptation to warming but not cooling at slow rates of stimulus change in thermal threshold measurements , 2005, Somatosensory & motor research.

[4]  M. Bushnell,et al.  The thermal grill illusion: unmasking the burn of cold pain. , 1994, Science.

[5]  Tomohiro Amemiya,et al.  Virtual force display: direction guidance using asymmetric acceleration via periodic translational motion , 2005, First Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. World Haptics Conference.

[6]  Sydney Alrutz.  ON THE TEMPERATURE-SENSES , 1897 .

[7]  Lawrence E. Marks,et al.  Spatial localization of warmth , 1975 .

[8]  R. A. Mcfarland.  Relationship of skin temperature changes to the emotions accompanying music , 1985, Biofeedback and self-regulation.

[9]  I. Darian‐Smith,et al.  Thermal sensibility and thermoreceptors. , 1977, The Journal of investigative dermatology.

[10]  A. Kappers,et al.  Thermosensory reversal effect quantified. , 2008, Acta psychologica.

[11]  D. Kenshalo.  CORRELATIONS OF TEMPERATURE SENSITIVITY IN MAN AND MONKEY, A FIRST APPROXIMATION , 1976 .

[12]  B. Green,et al.  Temperature perception and nociception. , 2004, Journal of neurobiology.

[13]  J D Greenspan,et al.  Somatotopic localization of thermal stimuli: I. A comparison of within- versus across-dermatomal separation of innocuous thermal stimuli. , 1996, Somatosensory & motor research.

[14]  Roope Raisamo,et al.  Cold or Hot? How Thermal Stimuli Are Related to Human Emotional System? , 2013, HAID.

[15]  H. Ide,et al.  Effect of skin temperature on vibrotactile sensitivity , 1985, Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing.

[16]  R MELZACK,et al.  Skin sensitivity to thermal stimuli. , 1962, Experimental neurology.

[17]  Lawrence E. Marks,et al.  Spatial summation of cold , 1979, Physiology & Behavior.

[18]  Hsin-Ni Ho,et al.  Contribution of thermal cues to material discrimination and localization , 2006, Perception & psychophysics.

[19]  B. Green,et al.  Synthetic heat at mild temperatures , 2002, Somatosensory & motor research.

[20]  Lawrence E. Marks,et al.  Spatial summation and the dynamics of warmth sensation , 1971 .

[21]  Takashi Maeno,et al.  Presentation of Rapid Temperature Change Using Spatially Divided Hot and Cold Stimuli , 2013, J. Robotics Mechatronics.

[22]  Ken Parsons,et al.  Human Thermal Environments: The Effects of Hot, Moderate, and Cold Environments on Human Health, Comfort and Performance , 1999 .

[23]  Lynette A. Jones,et al.  The psychophysics of temperature perception and thermal-interface design , 2002, Proceedings 10th Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems. HAPTICS 2002.

[24]  Martin Halvey,et al.  Some like it hot: thermal feedback for mobile devices , 2011, CHI.

[25]  J. C. Stevens,et al.  Temperature sensitivity of the body surface over the life span. , 1998, Somatosensory & motor research.

[26]  Klaus Züchner,et al.  Effect of thermode application pressure on thermal threshold detection , 2008, Muscle & nerve.

[27]  K. O. Johnson,et al.  Peripheral neural determinants of temperature discrimination in man: a correlative study of responses to cooling skin. , 1973, Journal of neurophysiology.

[28]  J D Greenspan,et al.  The effects of rate of temperature change and adapting temperature on thermal sensitivity. , 1977, Sensory processes.

[29]  Lynette A. Jones,et al.  Warm or Cool, Large or Small? The Challenge of Thermal Displays , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Haptics.

[30]  Mark S. Wallace,et al.  Qualitative and quantitative characterization of the thermal grill , 2005, Pain.

[31]  Neil S Maxwell,et al.  Precooling leg muscle improves intermittent sprint exercise performance in hot, humid conditions. , 2006, Journal of applied physiology.

[32]  H. J. Goldsmid,et al.  Thermoelectric Refrigeration , 1964 .

[33]  D. Kenshalo,et al.  Spatial summation on the forehead, forearm, and back produced by radiant and conducted heat. , 1967, Journal of comparative and physiological psychology.

[34]  Lars Arendt-Nielsen,et al.  The spatial characteristics of the painful thermal grill illusion , 2008, PAIN.