Introduction of a New In-Situ Measurement System for the Study of Touch-Feel Relevant Surface Properties

The touch-feel sensation of product surfaces arouses growing interest in various industry branches. To entangle the underlying physical and material parameters responsible for a specific touch-feel sensation, a new measurement system has been developed. This system aims to record the prime physical interaction parameters at a time, which is considered a necessary prerequisite for a successful physical description of the haptic sensation. The measurement setup enables one to measure the dynamic coefficient of friction, the macroscopic contact area of smooth and rough surfaces, the angle enclosed between the human finger and the soft-touch surfaces and the vibrations induced in the human finger during relative motion at a time. To validate the measurement stand, a test series has been conducted on two soft-touch surfaces of different roughness. While the individual results agree well with the literature, their combination revealed new insights. Finally, the investigation of the haptics of polymer coatings with the presented measuring system should facilitate the design of surfaces with tailor-made touch-feel properties.