Informatization of Tactile Sensations Based on the Subjectivity and its Applications

Abstract

Haptic perception is subjective because the information depends on our bodies and the motor control is based on sensory feedback. We are trying to reveal, evaluate, share, and augment subjective haptic perception with wearable sensing and sensory feedback technologies, and these technologies have potentialities to be applied into design, manufacturing, welfare, and medical applications. In this paper, our tactile devices developed from these viewpoints are introduced: a wearable skin vibration sensor that can detect skin-propagated vibration from the fingertip when the fingertip contacts with an object and a palpation system having a tactile sensor and a tactile display for laparoscopic surgery that utilizes surgeon's clinical sense and skill.