Spatiotemporal rendering for dynamic sensation reproduction via electrostatic-enhanced vibro-haptic interface

Public summary

* The threshold duration for perceiving vibro-haptic stimuli is at least 20 ms.

* The vibrational continuity of one actuator pixels is influenced by both the interval and the duration.

* Accuracy to identify two actuator pixels increases with the two-point distance.

* Delay time needed to distinguish two asynchronously activated actuator pixels depends on the duration.

* Wearable haptic music and virtual dynamic haptic reproduction are wirelessly demonstrated successfully.

Abstract

Human skin exhibits extreme sensitivity to spatiotemporal contact events, especially important for dynamic interactions in human-machine interfaces. However, replicating non-invasive haptic feedback for dynamic interaction with a spatiotemporal resolution that matches the human somatosensory system remains challenging because the spatiotemporal design criteria of the haptic interface and the perception characteristic of human beings are not clearly understood. Here, we report a thin electrostatic-enhanced vibro-haptic interface constructed with piezoelectric actuator pixels driven by relativity low voltage, capable of being spatiotemporally programmed for wearable and noninvasive dynamic haptic interaction. Systematic psychophysical tests systematically reveal the relationship between the spatiotemporal parameters (duration, interval, delay, and two-point distance) and human perception characteristics (intensity, continuity, and pixel asynchronous activation perceptibility). Accordingly, wearable haptic music is designed to reproduce the smooth rhythmic beats on a finger (distinguishing accuracy of 95%). Moreover, we demonstrate the reproduction of virtual dynamic interactions, such as recognizing moving directions, textures, and action modes. This work provides clear criteria for designing vibro-haptic interfaces with high spatiotemporal resolution for both physical and virtual applications.