Multi-sensory perception of roughness: Empirical study on effects of vibrotactile feedback and auditory feedback in texture perception

Abstract

This work investigates effects of vibrotactile stimuli and auditory feedback in perceiving roughness. One of objectives in the research is to derive functional correlations between perceived roughness and principal elements of vibrotactile stimuli. A tactile display device having a 5x6 pin array has been developed as the test bed for the quantitative experiment. Sandpapers were used as specimens of perceived roughness. The experimental results show that there is a tight correlation between perceived roughness and vibrotactile stimuli and their functional relations have been derived. The second objective of this research is to analyze the relation between perceived roughness and auditory feedback. Real sound samples recorded during rubbing surface of sandpaper specimens have been adopted as auditory feedback elements. The experimental results showed human could estimate surface roughness from auditory information if and only if he/she recognized the source of sounds. The results in this papers show possibilities to fortify representing roughness by using a tactile-auditory display in a tangible environment beyond conventional approach changing sizes of grits or grooves on a surface. © 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin/Heidelberg.