Tactile Rendering Using Three Basic Stimulus Components in Ultrasound Midair Haptics

Abstract: Ultrasound midair haptics (UMH) can present non-contact tactile stimuli using focused ultrasound without restricting the user's movement. Recently, UMH has been shown to present not only conventional vibrotactile sensations but also static pressure sensations by locally rotating an ultrasound focus at several hertz. With these pressure and vibration sensations, UMH covers three mechanoreceptors on which tactile perception relies: SA-I, FA-I, and FA-II. This study proposes a texture rendering method in UMH based on these receptor characteristics. Three basic ultrasonic stimuli corresponding to each mechanoreceptor are designed, and tactile textures are rendered through their combinations. For SA-I, a pressure stimuli were employed. For FA-I and FA-II, vibration stimuli at 30 Hz and 150 Hz, respectively, are employed. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can render at least six discriminable textures with different roughness and friction sensations. Notably, through comparisons with real physical objects, we found that the pressure-only stimulus was perceived as slippery and smooth. Its smoothness was similar to a glass-marble. When vibration stimuli were synthesized, the perceived roughness and friction increased significantly. The roughness level reached that of a 100-grit sandpaper.