Investigating Electrotactile Feedback on The Hand

Electrotactile feedback can be used as a novel method to evoke different sensations on the skin. However, there is a lack of research exploring electrotactile feedback on the palm. This paper presents two experiments that in- vestigate the effects of manipulating pulse width, amplitude and frequency of electrical stimulation on perceived sensations (urgency, annoyance, valence and arousal) on the palm. In the first study, we manipulated pulse width and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on the perceived sensations, except for frequency not having an effect on valence. Also, frequencies of 30Hz and above did not influence the perceived sensations. In the second study, we manipulated amplitude and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on perceived sensations, especially for frequencies lower than 30Hz. From both experiments, the increment of pulse width and amplitude led to a higher rating for urgency, annoyance and arousal. These results gives us a better understanding of the parameter space of electrotactile feedback to enable designers to create effective electrotactile feedback

Investigating Electrotactile Feedback on The Hand

Electrotactile feedback can be used as a novel method to evoke different sensations on the skin. However, there is a lack of research exploring electrotactile feedback on the palm. This paper presents two experiments that in- vestigate the effects of manipulating pulse width, amplitude and frequency of electrical stimulation on perceived sensations (urgency, annoyance, valence and arousal) on the palm. In the first study, we manipulated pulse width and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on the perceived sensations, except for frequency not having an effect on valence. Also, frequencies of 30Hz and above did not influence the perceived sensations. In the second study, we manipulated amplitude and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on perceived sensations, especially for frequencies lower than 30Hz. From both experiments, the increment of pulse width and amplitude led to a higher rating for urgency, annoyance and arousal. These results gives us a better understanding of the parameter space of electrotactile feedback to enable designers to create effective electrotactile feedback

Communications Biophysics

Contains research objectives and reports on eight research projects split into three sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 PO1 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS18682)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS20322)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS 20269)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 NS 07047)Symbion, Inc.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 R01 NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO NS 16917)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS83-19874)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS83-19887)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS21322-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32-NS07099-07)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092-06)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS11080

Oral Somatosensory Awareness

Oral somatosensory awareness refers to the somatic sensations arising within the mouth, and to the information these sensations provide about the state and structure of the mouth itself, and objects in the mouth. Because the oral tissues have a strong somatosensory innervation, they are the locus of some of our most intense and vivid bodily experiences. The salient pain of toothache, or the habit of running one's tongue over one's teeth when someone mentions "dentist", provide two very different indications of the power of oral somatosensory awareness in human experience and behaviour. This paper aims to review the origins and structure of oral somatosensory awareness, focussing on quantitative, mechanistic studies in humans. We first extend a model of levels of bodily awareness to the specific case of the mouth. We then briefly summarise the sensory innervation of oral tissues, and their projections in the brain. We next describe how these peripheral inputs give rise to perceptions of objects in the mouth, such as foods, liquids and oral devices, and also of the mouth tissues themselves. Finally, we consider the concept of a conscious mouth image, and the somatosensory basis of "mouth feel". The theoretical framework outlined in this paper is intended to facilitate scientific studies of this important site of human experience