Presentation of Thermal Sense to Finger Pad through thermal Stimulation on Finger Side

Abstract

This paper proposes a thermal display that can present a virtual thermal sensation to the finger pad using thermal stimuli on the side of the finger. The proposed method could help realize the thermal augmentation of real objects or simplify the design of a haptic display. This paper investigates the effect of proposed method in terms of perceived strength and reaction time of the virtual thermal sensation. The results indicate that a tactile stimulation is required for a virtual thermal sensation to be perceived on the finger pad similar to that observed in the thermal referral phenomenon. Furthermore, the vibrotactile stimulation appears to improve both the perceived strength and the reaction time.