Modeling Sliding Friction Between Human Finger and Touchscreen Under Electroadhesion.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Tribology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Capacitive touchscreens utilize electroadhesion, also known as electrovibration, to alter friction.
• The precise physics of voltage-induced electroadhesion and finger-touchscreen interactions require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally investigate the impact of input voltage on tangential forces during sliding on touchscreens.
• To develop and validate a contact mechanics model for voltage-induced frictional forces.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a custom-made tribometer for experimental measurements.
• Developed a contact mechanics model to estimate voltage-induced friction.
• Employed optimization techniques to estimate model parameters by minimizing experimental error.

Main Results:

• Experimental data demonstrated the effect of input voltage on tangential forces.
• The developed contact mechanics model accurately estimated voltage-induced frictional forces.
• Estimated model parameters aligned with existing literature values.

Conclusions:

• The study provides experimental evidence and a validated model for understanding electroadhesion-induced friction on touchscreens.
• Findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of electrovibration phenomena.
• The validated model can predict frictional forces based on applied voltage and normal force.