A common problem with designing and developing applications with tactile interfaces is the lack of a vocabulary that allows one to describe or communicate about haptics. Here we present the findings from a study exploring participants' verbalizations of their tactile experiences across two modulated tactile stimuli (16Hz and 250Hz) related to two important mechanoreceptors in the human hand. The study, with 14 participants, applied the explicitation interview technique to capture detailed descriptions of the diachronic and synchronic structure of tactile experiences. We propose 14 categories for a human-experiential vocabulary based on the categorization of the findings and tie them back to neurophysiological and psychophysical data on the human hand. We finally discuss design opportunities created through this experiential understanding in relation to the two mechanoreceptors.

Talking about tactile experiences

We are on the verge of ubiquitously adopting Augmented Reality (AR) technologies to enhance our percep- tion and help us see, hear, and feel our environments in new and enriched ways. AR will support us in fields such as education, maintenance, design and reconnaissance, to name but a few. This paper describes the field of AR, including a brief definition and development history, the enabling technologies and their characteristics. It surveys the state of the art by reviewing some recent applications of AR technology as well as some known limitations regarding human factors in the use of AR systems that developers will need to overcome.

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A Survey of Augmented Reality Technologies, Applications and Limitations

A haptic feedback planar touch control used to provide input to a computer. A touch input device includes a planar touch surface that inputs a position signal to a processor of the computer based on a location of user contact on the touch surface. The computer can position a cursor in a displayed graphical environment based at least in part on the position signal, or perform a different function. At least one actuator is also coupled to the touch input device and outputs a force to provide a haptic sensation to the user contacting the touch surface. The touch input device can be a touchpad separate from the computer's display screen, or can be a touch screen. Output haptic sensations on the touch input device can include pulses, vibrations, and spatial textures. The touch input device can include multiple different regions to control different computer functions.

Haptic feedback for touchpads and other touch control

Tactile displays are now becoming available in a form that can be easily used in a user interface. This paper describes a new form of tactile output. Tactons, or tactile icons, are structured, abstract messages that can be used to communicate messages non-visually. A range of different parameters can be used for Tacton construction including: frequency, amplitude and duration of a tactile pulse, plus other parameters such as rhythm and location. Tactons have the potential to improve interaction in a range of different areas, particularly where the visual display is overloaded, limited in size or not available, such as interfaces for blind people or in mobile and wearable devices. This paper describes Tactons, the parameters used to construct them and some possible ways to design them. Examples of where Tactons might prove useful in user interfaces are given.

Tactons: Structured Tactile Messages for Non-Visual Information Display

Tactile displays are now becoming available in a form that can be easily used in a user interface This paper describes a new form of tactile output Tactons, or tactile icons, are structured, abstract messages that can be used to communicate messages non-visually A range of different parameters can be used for Tacton construction including: frequency, amplitude and duration of a tactile pulse, plus other parameters such as rhythm and location Tactons have the potential to improve interaction in a range of different areas, particularly where the visual display is overloaded, limited in size or not available, such as interfaces for blind people or in mobile and wearable devices This paper describes Tactons, the parameters used to construct them and some possible ways to design them Examples of where Tactons might prove useful in user interfaces are given

/pdf/tactons-structured-tactile-messages-for-non-visual-3v7qh1p21c.pdf

Tactons: structured tactile messages for non-visual information display

A new breed of mobile phones has been designed to enable concurrent vibration and audio stimulation, or audio-haptics. This paper aims to share techniques for creating and optimizing audio-haptic effects to enhance the user interface.The authors present audio manipulation techniques specific to the multifunction transducer (MFT) technology. In particular two techniques, the Haptic Inheritance and Synthesis and Matching methods are discussed. These two methods of haptic media generation allow simple creation of vibration content, and also allow for compatibility with non-haptic mobile devices.The authors present preliminary results of an evaluation of 42 participants comparing audio-based haptic user interface (UI) feedback with audio-only feedback. The results show that users were receptive to audio-haptic UI feedback. The results also suggest that audio-haptics seems to enhance the perception of audio quality.

/pdf/audio-haptic-feedback-in-mobile-phones-r1vx9z2p4s.pdf

Audio-haptic feedback in mobile phones

A method (FIG. 1 ) and apparatus (205) for user interface adaptation determines (110) a handedness of a user who is operating the handheld device, and changes (115) physical aspects of at least one touch target of a user touch interface of the handheld device to adapt to the handedness of the user when the handedness of the user is different than a current handedness of user touch interface of the handheld device.

Method and apparatus for user interface adaptation111

Sound is touch at a distance The vibration of pressure waves in the air creates sounds that our ears hear, at close range, these pressure waves may also be felt as vibration This audio-haptic relationship has potential for enriching interaction in human-computer interfaces How can interface designers manipulate attention using audio-haptic media? We propose a theoretical perceptual framework for design of audio-haptic media, influenced by aesthetic frameworks in visual theory and audio design The aesthetic issues of the multimodal interplay between audio and haptic modalities are presented, with discussion based on anecdotes from multimedia artists We use the aesthetic theory to develop four design mechanisms for transition between audio and haptic channels:synchronization, temporal linearization, maskingandsynchresis An example composition using these mechanisms, and the multisensory design intent, is discussed by the designers

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An Audio-Haptic Aesthetic Framework Influenced by Visual Theory

We observe that the recent availability of audio-haptic actuators allow richer vibration content to be available in commercial devices. However, we note that consumers are unable to take advantage of these rich experiences, mainly due to the lack of a descriptive language for vibration. We analyze the current methods for classifying vibrations. We propose a new framework for describing vibrotactile haptic phenomena, based on an organizing the media based on content activity. We describe this naming system, based on Russolo's families of noise, and address other pertinent issues to introducing vibration content into commercial devices.

An activity classification for vibrotactile phenomena

/pdf/an-activity-classification-for-vibrotactile-phenomena-3txz1yd7wa.pdf

Conor P. O'sullivan

Papers

Audio-haptic feedback in mobile phones

Method and apparatus for user interface adaptation111

An Audio-Haptic Aesthetic Framework Influenced by Visual Theory

An activity classification for vibrotactile phenomena

An activity classification for vibrotactile phenomena