Local Peak Method: An Electrotactile Stimulation Method Focusing on Surface Structures for Texture Rendering

Abstract

Presenting objects’ texture sensations by electrical stimulation has been drawing greater attention as a means to improve the augmented reality experiences. To reproduce the texture sensations of real objects in detail, tactile perceptions of their complex surface shapes must be translated as electrical stimulation. Many conventional studies on presenting vibrational sensations by electrical stimulations have used single pulse waveforms, limiting the vibrational sensations that can be presented by electrical stimulations. In this paper, therefore, we propose the local peak method, in which pulse waveforms are configured on the objects’ surface structures. We have experimentally proved that the proposed local peak method can present sensations that are more akin to touching physical objects than pulse waveforms of single intervals in the case of presented objects having complex surface structures.