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Related Experiment Videos

Human's Capability to Discriminate Spatial Forces at the Big Toe.

Annette Hagengruber1, Hannes Höppner1, Jörn Vogel1

  • 1German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, Weßling, Germany.

Frontiers in Neurorobotics
|April 26, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Humans can discern spatial forces applied to their toes, crucial for robotic control and prosthetics. Higher forces and specific directions improved accuracy, with 8 N stimuli achieving over 89% success.

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Area of Science:

  • Haptics and Human-Computer Interaction
  • Neuroscience and Sensorimotor Control
  • Robotics and Prosthetics

Background:

  • Tactile feedback is vital for object manipulation and intuitive control of robotic devices and prostheses.
  • Current limitations in hand-based tactile feedback necessitate alternative channels, such as the toes.
  • Previous research demonstrated toe integration of unidirectional force feedback into sensorimotor control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the human capability to discriminate spatial forces applied to the toe.
  • To evaluate the influence of force amplitude and direction on tactile discrimination.
  • To assess the feasibility of using toes as a tactile feedback channel for advanced human-machine interfaces.

Main Methods:

  • A user study was conducted using a haptic feedback device to apply forces to subjects' right big toes.
Keywords:
haptic displayhapticshuman-in-the-loopprosthesissensory substitutiontactile feedbackteleoperation

Related Experiment Videos

  • Forces with amplitudes of 2 N, 5 N, and 8 N were applied in four directions (distal, proximal, medial, lateral).
  • The proportion of tangential force was varied (5° to 25°) relative to normal force, and subjects identified the force direction.

    • Main Results:

    • Both force amplitude and the proportion of tangential forces significantly impacted discrimination success rates.
    • The 'right' (lateral) direction showed a significantly different success rate compared to other directions.
    • Success rates exceeded 89% for stimuli with an 8 N force amplitude across all tested directions.

    Conclusions:

    • Subjects demonstrated the ability to discriminate spatial forces applied to their toes.
    • Toe-based tactile feedback is a viable alternative for enhancing control in teleoperation and prosthetics.
    • The findings support the integration of non-hand tactile feedback for improved human-robot interaction.