Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2022, held in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2022. The 36 regular papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 129 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: haptic science; haptic technology; and haptic applications

Multisensory learning in adaptive interactive systems

The main purpose of my work is to investigate multisensory perceptual learning and sensory integration in the design and development of adaptive user interfaces for educational purposes. To this aim, starting from renewed understanding from neuroscience and cognitive science on multisensory perceptual learning and sensory integration, I developed a theoretical computational model for designing multimodal learning technologies that take into account these results. Main theoretical foundations of my research are multisensory perceptual learning theories and the research on sensory processing and integration, embodied cognition theories, computational models of non-verbal and emotion communication in full-body movement, and human-computer interaction models. Finally, a computational model was applied in two case studies, based on two EU ICT-H2020 Projects, "weDRAW" and "TELMI", on which I worked during the PhD

The relationship between cortical beta oscillations and motor learning

The ability to learn and retain new motor skills is pivotal for everyday life activities and motor rehabilitation after stroke. However, people show considerable individual differences in motor learning. Understanding the neurophysiological processes underlying these individual differences is of significant scientific and clinical importance. At a mechanistic level, oscillations in the beta frequency range (15–30 Hz), fundamental for motor control, reflect underlying cortical inhibitory and excitatory mechanisms. As such, they may provide appropriate biomarkers with which to bridge the gap between cellular and behavioural accounts of cortical plasticity in both healthy and diseased states. This thesis explores the interplay between cortical beta oscillations and individual differences in short-term motor learning within the context of healthy ageing and after stroke. First, I assess the test-retest reliability of resting and movement-related beta estimates in a group of healthy subjects across several weeks. By demonstrating that EEG-derived power measures of beta activity are highly reliable, I validate the notion that these measures reflect meaningful individual differences that can be utilized in basic research and in the clinic. Second, I probe the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying natural inter-individual differences in short-term motor learning. I demonstrate comparable motor learning ability between young and elderly individuals, despite age-related alterations in beta activity. Implementing a multivariate approach, I show that beta dynamics explain some of the individual differences in post-training tracking performance. Third, I extend this line of research by focusing on stroke-related inter-individual variations in motor learning. Employing the same tasks and analyses, I demonstrate preserved, albeit reduced motor learning ability and no aberrant beta activity after stroke. Beta dynamics explained some of the individual differences in stroke patients’ performance 24 hours after training, and may thus offer novel targets for therapeutic interventions

A study of the effect of interactive language in the stimulation of cognitive functioning for students with learning disabilities

Much can be gained by applying knowledge and insight gleaned from the field of neuropsychology to the field of education. Diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities (LD) could be enhanced through an increased understanding of neurolinguistic functioning. The present study examined the effect of five instructional techniques aimed at stimulating the cognitive functioning of students with diagnosed learning disabilities. The defining characteristic of each of the five techniques is the use of interactive dialogue to stimulate oral language production leading to greater cognitive efficiency. Evidence is presented for the need for interhemispheric collaboration in complex linguistic tasks such as reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic. Students with learning disabilities could be viewed as having a breakdown in dynamic functioning impacting neurological systems.;The intervention model developed by the National Institute for Learning Disabilities (NILD) assessed in the present study is based upon the theoretical foundations of Feuerstein (1980), Luria (1981), Piaget (1959), and Vygotsky (1962/1975). The interrelatedness of thought and language, the creation of the zone of proximal development, the recognition of the plasticity of intelligence and the belief in the importance of a human mediator in the learning process, each contributes to the design of techniques used in the NILD program.;The statistical analysis showed significant group-by-time interaction effects in the areas of general and verbal cognitive functioning for the experimental group (n = 47), as assessed by the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude - Second Edition (DTLA-2) when compared to the control group (n = 25). Significant gains over time were evidenced by the experimental group in reading, spelling, and arithmetic scores as measured by the Wide Range Achievement Test - Revised (WRAT-R), and in nonverbal cognitive functioning as measured by the DTLA-2.;Overall results indicated that students with diagnosed learning disabilities benefited from an intensive individualized program over a three-year period in a modified pull-out approach involving 160 minutes of instruction per week. Specifically, the interactive effects of five core instructional techniques appeared to significantly impact neurolinguistic functioning for the experimental group

A Role for the Somatosensory System in Motor Learning by Observing

An influential idea in neuroscience is that action observation activates an observer’s sensory-motor system. This idea has recently been extended to motor learning; observing another individual undergoing motor learning can promote sensory-motor plasticity as well as behavioural changes in both the motor and somatosensory domains. While previous research has suggested a role for the motor system in motor learning by observing, this thesis presents a series of experiments testing the hypothesis that the somatosensory system is also involved in motor learning by observing. The experiments included in this thesis used force field (FF) adaptation as a model of motor learning, a task in which subjects adapt their reaches to a robot-imposed FF. Subjects observed a video showing another individual adapting his or her reaches to a FF, and motor learning by observing was assessed behaviourally following observation. First, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess changes in resting-state functional connectivity (FC) associated with motor learning by observing. We identified a functional network consisting of visual area V5/MT, cerebellum, primary motor cortex (M1), and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in which post- observation FC changes were correlated with subsequent behavioural measures of motor learning achieved through observation. We then investigated if pre-observation measures of brain function or structure could predict subsequent motor learning by observing. We found that individual differences in pre-observation resting-state FC predicted observation-related gains in motor learning. Subjects who exhibited greater FC between bilateral S1, M1, dorsal premotor cortex (PMd), and left superior parietal lobule (SPL) prior to observation achieved greater motor learning by observing on the following day. In a subsequent experiment, we tested the involvement of the somatosensory system in motor learning by observing using median nerve stimulation and electroencephalogra- phy (EEG). In experiment 1, we showed that interfering with somatosensory cortical processing throughout observation (by delivering median nerve stimulation) can disrupt motor learning by observing. In a follow-up experiment, we assessed pre- to post- observation changes in S1 excitability by acquiring somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) using EEG. We showed that SEP amplitudes increased after observing motor learning. Post-observtion SEP increases were correlated with subsequent behavioural measures of motor learning achieved through observation. In a final experiment, we tested if improving subjects’ somatosensory function would enhance subsequent motor learning by observing. Subjects underwent perceptual training to improve their proprioceptive acuity prior to observation. We found that improving proprioceptive acuity prior to observation enhanced the extent to which subjects benefitted from observing motor learning (compared to subjects who had not undergone perceptual training). We further found that post-training increases in proprioceptive acuity were correlated with subsequent observation-related gains in motor performance. Collectively, these studies suggest that motor learning by observing is supported by a fronto-parieto-occipital network in which the somatosensory system is an active element. We have shown that observing motor learning changes somatosensory activity in a behaviourally-relevant manner. Observing motor learning resulted in S1 plasticity that corresponded to the extent of learning achieved through observation. Moreover, manipulating somatosensory activity influenced motor learning by observing. Interfering with somatosensory processing throughout observation disrupted motor learning by observing whereas improving somatosensory function prior to observation enhanced motor learning by observing. These experiments therefore suggest that the somatosensory system is indeed involved in motor learning by observing

Stratégies d'apprentissage et mémoire à long terme d'associations mot-objet chez le jeune enfant et le chien

Nous faisons tous l'expérience de nous souvenirs d'informations ou d'épisodes de vie vécus il y a fort longtemps. Mais qu'en est-il pour nos jeunes enfants et pour les espèces animales éloignées de nous ? Les enfants et les animaux forment-ils également des souvenirs qui peuvent demeurer intacts durant de longues périodes ? Et si tel est le cas, la formation de leurs souvenirs dépend-elle des mêmes règles que celles actuellement établies chez l'Homme adulte ? Cette thèse s'est intéressée à ces questions dans un contexte d'apprentissage associatif bimodal complexe: le concept mot-objet; chez le jeune enfant et le chien domestique. Pour ces deux modèles d'étude, nous avons exploré certains paramètres susceptibles de faciliter l'encodage et le stockage en mémoire de ce type d'information. Nous avons notamment cherché à savoir si le nombre de présentations de nouvelles associations mot-objets lors de l'apprentissage avait un effet sur la rétention du nom de ces objets après un délai, et avons tenté de déterminer le nombre minimal de présentations nécessaire pour induire une trace mnésique. Enfin, nous avons exploré l'efficacité de deux stratégies d'apprentissage sur la mémorisation de nouveaux noms d'objets et démontrons que l'efficacité des stratégies utilisées chez l'Homme évolue au cours du développement de l'enfant et ne semblent pas s'appliquer aux chiens. En bref, nos résultats apportent des éclaircissements quant à certains principes qui sous-tendent la formation de mémoires sensorielles chez un organisme en développement ainsi que chez une espèce animale non primate, et nous permettent d'émettre des hypothèses quant aux mécanismes cérébraux sous-jacents.All of us occasionally remember information or personal events that occurred a long time ago. But what about young children and distantly related animal species? Do young children and animals also form memories that can last in time? And if so, does memory formation rely on the same principles than those established in human adults? This thesis intended to examine these questions in the context of an associative learning concept involving complex bimodal stimuli: the word-object concept; both in young children and domestic dogs. For these two models, we explored some parameters susceptible to facilitate the encoding and storage of this type of information in memory. In particular, we attempted to determine if the number of presentations of novel word-object associations during learning influenced the retention of the name of these objects after a delay. We also aimed to establish the minimal number of presentations of the pairs required to induce a memory trace. Finally, we examined the efficacy of two learning strategies on the ability to remember the names of novel objects and demonstrated that the efficacy of the strategies implemented in humans evolves during development and seems not to apply to dogs. In brief, our results enlightened some principles underlying the formation of sensory memories in an early-developing brain system as well as in a non-primate species, and allow us to make assumptions about the underlying brain mechanisms

Foot, ankle and lower limb somatosensory dysfunction in stroke

The extent to which sensory impairments in the foot, ankle and lower limb persist into the chronic phase of stroke is unclear. Furthermore, the extent to which these impairments influence walking, balance and falls is not well understood. This thesis investigated the prevalence, functional importance and measurement of lower limb somatosensory impairments in ambulatory people with chronic stroke. Methods This thesis comprised three studies: the first, a qualitative investigation, explored the views and experiences of people with chronic stroke (n=13). This led to the second study: a cross sectional observational study in which the prevalence, distribution and functional relevance of lower limb sensory impairments were investigated in chronic stroke participants (n=180) and healthy controls (n=46). The final study, informed by the findings from the first two studies, a “synthesis” review of current sensory measures and patient and carer involvement, developed and evaluated three novel, functionally oriented measures of lower limb somatosensory discrimination in chronic stroke (n=32) and healthy controls (n=32). Results People with stroke felt problems with foot, ankle and lower limb sensation affected their walking, balance and contributed to falls. Furthermore, sensory impairments in the lower limb are prevalent with up to 59% of chronic stroke survivors having a deficit of one or more somatosensory modality. Despite this, weak associations between traditional measures of tactile and proprioceptive sensation and walking, balance and falls were demonstrated. Novel, functionally oriented measures of tactile and proprioceptive discrimination were developed and evaluated. These measures were reliable and valid, showing greater sensitivity to predicting the presence of sensory impairments and had stronger associations with functional measures than traditional sensory tests. Conclusions This thesis has provided a comprehensive picture of lower limb somatosensory dysfunction in chronic stroke survivors. Sensory impairments persist into the chronic phase of stroke in the majority of stroke survivors. The extent to which such impairments influence functional ability warrants further investigation. The use of functionally oriented measures that assess higher-level somatosensation is encouraged.Chartered Society of PhysiotherapyDr William Scholl Podiatric Research and Development Fun

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge