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Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

Design Example: Resistive Touchscreen

Design Example: Resistive Touchscreen

A device engineer plays a crucial role in designing user interfaces for mobile devices. One such interface is the resistive touchscreen, which fundamentally consists of two metallic layers: a flexible upper layer and a rigid lower layer, separated by a narrow gap. The high resistance between these two layers is a key characteristic of this design.
When a user touches the screen, the two layers make contact at a specific point known as the touchpoint. This contact reduces the resistance between...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 6, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Published on: July 30, 2020

Using a high spatial resolution tactile sensor for intention detection.

Claudio Castellini, Risto Koiva

IEEE ... International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics : [Proceedings]

|November 5, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers used high-resolution tactile sensors to detect human intention by interpreting biological signals from the forearm. This novel approach achieved high accuracy in predicting intended force direction and intensity, offering new possibilities for assistive technologies.

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Last Updated: May 6, 2026

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Tactile Semiautomatic Passive-Finger Angle Stimulator TSPAS

Published on: July 30, 2020

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

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Published on: September 1, 2016

A Tactile Automated Passive-Finger Stimulator TAPS

A Tactile Automated Passive-Finger Stimulator TAPS

Published on: June 3, 2009

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Neuroscience
Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

Intention detection interprets biological signals to understand human desires, crucial for assistive technologies.
Current methods like gaze tracking, surface electromyography, and electroencephalography have limitations.
High-resolution tactile sensing offers a novel, non-invasive approach for intention detection.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the efficacy of high-spatial-resolution, high-dynamic-range tactile sensors for intention detection.
To assess the accuracy of tactile sensor data in predicting intended force direction and intensity.
To explore the potential of tactile sensing in advancing assistive device control.

Main Methods:

Recorded tactile images of the ventral forearm in 9 able-bodied participants during a variable-force task.
Synchronously recorded fingertip and forearm forces.
Applied Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction and Support Vector Machine (SVM) for classification.

Main Results:

Achieved almost perfect detection accuracy for both the direction and intensity of intended force.
Demonstrated the effectiveness of PCA and SVM in analyzing tactile sensor data.
Highlighted the potential of tactile sensing for reliable intention detection.

Conclusions:

High-resolution tactile sensors can reliably detect human intention.
This technology shows promise for improving control of assistive devices like robotic wheelchairs and prosthetics.
Tactile sensing represents a significant advancement in the field of intention detection and human-computer interaction.