Electrostatic Modulated Friction as Tactile Feedback: Intensity Perception

We describe the preliminary results from an experiment investigating the perceived intensity of modulated friction created by electrostatic force, or electrovibration. A prototype experimental system was created to evaluate user perception of sinusoidal electrovibration stimuli on a flat surface emulating a touch screen interface. We introduce a fixed 6-point Effect Strength Subjective Index (ESSI) as a measure of generic sensation intensity, and compare it with an open magnitude scale. The results of the experiment indicate that there are significant correlations between intensity perception and signal amplitude, and the highest sensitivity was found at a frequency of 80 Hz. The subjective results show that the users perceived the electrovibration stimuli as pleasant and a useful means of feedback for touchscreens.

[1]  J. Edward Colgate,et al.  T-PaD: Tactile Pattern Display through Variable Friction Reduction , 2007, Second Joint EuroHaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (WHC'07).

[2]  Akio Yamamoto,et al.  Electrostatic tactile display with thin film slider and its application to tactile telepresentation systems , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[3]  E. Galanter,et al.  Psychophysical Scaling ' " , 2006 .

[4]  Nicolas Roussel,et al.  STIMTAC: a tactile input device with programmable friction , 2011, UIST '11 Adjunct.

[5]  Michiel M. A. Spapé,et al.  The role of hand dominance and sensorimotor congruence in voluntary movement , 2009, Experimental Brain Research.

[6]  Donald E. Troxel,et al.  An Electrotactile Display , 1970 .

[7]  J. Edward Colgate,et al.  Friction measurements on a Large Area TPaD , 2010, 2010 IEEE Haptics Symposium.

[8]  Karon E. MacLean,et al.  Perceptual Design of Haptic Icons , 2003 .

[9]  Daniel M. Johnson,et al.  Frictional widgets: enhancing touch interfaces with programmable friction , 2011, CHI EA '11.

[10]  Hiroyuki Kajimoto,et al.  Palm touch panel: providing touch sensation through the device , 2011, ITS '11.

[11]  E MALLINCKRODT,et al.  Perception by the skin of electrically induced vibrations. , 1953, Science.

[12]  Brian Keelan,et al.  Handbook of Image Quality: Characterization and Prediction , 2002 .

[13]  R. C. Oldfield.  The assessment and analysis of handedness: the Edinburgh inventory. , 1971, Neuropsychologia.

[14]  David J. Beebe,et al.  A hybrid natural/artificial electrostatic actuator for tactile stimulation , 2002, 2nd Annual International IEEE-EMBS Special Topic Conference on Microtechnologies in Medicine and Biology. Proceedings (Cat. No.02EX578).

[15]  Lorna M. Brown,et al.  Multidimensional tactons for non-visual information presentation in mobile devices , 2006, Mobile HCI.

[16]  Ali Israr,et al.  TeslaTouch: electrovibration for touch surfaces , 2010, UIST.

[17]  A. Higashiyama,et al.  Perceived locus and intensity of electrocutaneous stimulation , 1991, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[18]  D. Beebe,et al.  A microfabricated electrostatic haptic display for persons with visual impairments. , 1998, IEEE transactions on rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[19]  Lorna M. Brown,et al.  Tactile feedback for mobile interactions , 2007, CHI.

[20]  R. T. Verrillo.  Psychophysics of vibrotactile stimulation. , 1985, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.