Gel-based Haptic Mediator for High-Definition Tactile Communication

Abstract

In an effort to find a way to more efficiently and accurately display localized high definition tactile information to the skin we studied the vibrotactile constructive wave interference properties of silicone gel. By placing two actuators at a given distance from each other and controlling the delay when each actuator is activated in relation to the other, we can achieve a point of constructive wave interference. The time when the interference occurs along with any loses due to attenuation depends on the material the vibration travels through. The goal is to find a compliant material that can be used as a reference to human tissue when designing feedback for assistive robots.