Design and optimization of support structures for tactile feedback
- Resource Type
- Conference
- Authors
- Jiang, Iris; Ishikawa, Yuki; Lindsay, Jack; Hannaford, Blake
- Source
- 2013 World Haptics Conference (WHC) World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2013. :485-490 Apr, 2013
- Subject
- Computing and Processing
Communication, Networking and Broadcast Technologies
Components, Circuits, Devices and Systems
Skin
Suspensions
Actuators
Optimization
Vibrations
Mathematical model
Displacement measurement
Vibrotactile haptics
skin vibration
mechanical model
optimization
mechanical impedance
- Language
Vibration motors are often used to generate tactile feedback to enhance human-machine interactions and provide information about the environment. We are interested in using these motors to enhance user feedback when wearing below-knee prostheses by providing informational cues via vibrations on the thigh. Our initial designs to hold the motors against the thigh resulted in a weak perception of vibration. We took an engineering approach to improve sensation by modeling the system and designing a new device that maximized skin displacement. Our results show the new suspended design increased skin displacement for both types of vibrational motors.