Tactile Feedback for Perception of Form and Texture

我们对表面纹理和物体形状的触觉感知的机制还不是很清楚。人类的指尖特别擅长这样的辨别，特别是当它在表面上活跃地移动时。该项目使用了一种名为形状记忆合金的新型材料，这种材料是一种金属，可以通过短暂的电热脉冲迅速变形成图案。使用这种材料单元构建的刺激器用于向指尖上的30个元素阵列提供高度量化的空间和时间图案，以模拟表面粗糙度和边缘检测，就像手指在表面上掠过一样。对频率、强度和空间分布的操纵将允许对受试者的感知辨别、识别和相似性评级进行定量评估，将模拟表面与实际表面进行比较。这些结果将对基于生理模型的触觉机械感受器功能以及对质地和形状的感知具有重要意义。它的潜在影响超越了机械感觉神经科学，扩展到为残疾人提供辅助工具的领域，以及远程机器人和虚拟环境应用的触觉反馈。

We do not understand well the mechanisms underlying the tactile perception of surface texture and object shape. The human fingertip is exceptionally good at such discriminations, particularly when it is actively moved over surfaces. This project utilizes a novel material called a "shape-memory-alloy" which is a metal that can rapidly be deformed into patterns by brief electrical heat pulses. The stimulator built with units of this material is used to deliver highly quantified spatial and temporal patterns to an array of 30 elements on the fingertip, to simulate surface roughness and edge detection as though the finger were sweeping across a surface. Manipulation of frequency, intensity, and spatial distribution will allow quantitative evaluation of perceptual discrimination, identification, and similarity ratings by subjects, comparing simulated surfaces with actual ones. Results will be important to relate to physiologically-based models of mechanoreceptor function in touch sensation, and the perception of texture and form. The potential impact extends beyond mechanosensory neuroscience into the areas of aids for the handicapped, and tactile feedback for telerobotic and virtual environment applications.