HCC:Small: Tactile communication in human-computer Interactions

触觉通信系统代表了一个很有前途的领域，通过使用相对未被充分利用的感觉系统--触觉来呈现信息，从而增强人机交互。这项拟议的研究的目标是了解触觉如何通过使用通常以视觉或听觉形式呈现的触觉提示来呈现信息，从而促进人机交互。触觉信号类似于振动的手机或寻呼机产生的信号。使用分布在皮肤上的振动电机阵列的触觉显示器的挑战之一是确定可以实际呈现什么类型的信息，可以使用振动触觉刺激的哪些方面来有效地传达这些信息，以及哪些任务受益于触觉提示。这项研究的目标之一是开发一个概念性框架，为计算机界面设计者提供指导，指导如何创建触觉通信系统，以减少工作量，减少与信息过载相关的错误，并减少完成任务所需的时间。这项研究的更广泛影响和应用远远超出计算机界面，扩展到用于向用户显示信息的所有触觉界面，特别是那些视觉和听觉障碍的用户。正在开发触觉显示器，以帮助视障人士导航并帮助听力障碍者学习唇读；拟议的研究通过确定用户可以轻松学习和识别的振动触觉信号的最佳特性，直接影响这些显示器的开发。除了这些应用，本研究与移动设备中触觉反馈的实现高度相关，并提供关于用户最有效地处理的信号类型的指导。

Tactile communication systems represent a promising arena for enhancing human-computer interactions by using a relatively underused sensory system, the sense of touch, to present information. The goal of the proposed research is to understand how the sense of touch can be used to facilitate human-computer interactions by presenting information using tactile cues that is usually presented in the visual or auditory modalities. The tactile signals are similar to those produced by a vibrating cell phone or pager. One of the challenges in using a tactile display that has an array of vibrating motors distributed over the skin is in determining what type of information can be presented tactually, which aspects of vibrotactile stimulation can be used to convey this information effectively, and what tasks benefit from tactile cues. One objective of the proposed research is to develop a conceptual framework that provides guidance to computer-interface designers on how tactile communication systems can be created that reduce work load, decrease errors associated with information overload and diminish the time taken to complete tasks.The broader impact and application of this research extends well beyond computer interfaces, to all tactile interfaces that are used to display information to users, particularly those with visual and auditory impairments. Tactile displays are being developed to aid navigation in the visually impaired and to assist the hearing impaired in learning to lip read; the proposed research directly impacts the development of these displays by determining the optimal properties of vibrotactile signals that users can easily learn and identify. In addition to these applications, the present research is highly relevant to the implementation of tactile feedback in mobile devices and provides guidance as to the types of signals that are processed most efficiently by users.