Display of high-frequency tactile information to teleoperators

In this paper we examine the role of high-frequency vibrations in the performance of a task in which subjects had to alternately tap in between two strips without applying excessive forces. We conducted three different experiments. In the first two experiments, subjects performed the task using two different actuated styli: a lightweight stylus and a massive stylus. In the first experiment, subjects performed the task using the lightweight stylus with and without masking (provided by continuous actuation of the solenoid). The number of successful taps decreased by a factor of 6.0 when the subjects used the stylus with masking. In the second experiment the massive stylus was used in two different modes. In one mode the solenoid was not actuated and in the second mode, the display mode, the solenoid produced a burst of vibrations when triggered by an electrical switch that closed when the stylus was in contact with the target strips. The performance of the subjects increased by a factor of 1.6 when they used the stylus with the display. These results indicate that people use high-frequency information during manipulation tasks and that a high-frequency display can be used to convey this information.