Human Psychophysics for Teletaction System Design

Abstract

In this paper, we quantify several perceptual capabilities of the human tactile system needed for teletaction. We develop a model of a teletaction system based on predicted subsurface strain. Psychophysics experiments measure the amplitude resolution of the human tactile system, the effects of shear stress on grating orientation discrimination, and the effects of viscoelasticity (creep and relaxation) on tactile perception for static touch. The results are used to determine teletaction system design parameters. We find that 10\% amplitude resolution is sufficient for a teletaction system with a 2~mm elastic layer and 2~mm tactor spacing.