On the Role of Tactile Perception for the Representation of Motion and Space: Modeling and Applications to Advanced Human-Machine Interaction

It is well known from the literature that cutaneous touch plays a crucial role in the perception of physical properties of the objects (e.g. shape, texture). However, the tactile mechanoreceptors are also important in building a perceptual representation of space and motion and in guiding and controlling human movements. Unveiling and mathematically modelling the components underpinning these phenomena is important not only to shed light on the neuroscientific mechanisms of the human somatosensory system but also to design artificial devices and experimental protocols for advanced human-machine interaction and assistive applications. Regarding touch-mediated spatial representation, it is worth citing the case of the Braille code, which is used to convey alphanumeric stimuli to visually impaired people through tactile exploration of a spatial distribution of a dot array. However, the design of refreshable Braille displays comes with important challenges, which are related to dimensions, costs as well as users’ acceptance. In this talk, I present the design and characterization of a single cell refreshable Braille display based on electromagnetic actuation. This prototype was tested with blind expert Braille code readers, who positively evaluated it and provided significant suggestions on how to foster the translation of this device from the lab to everyday life usage. In the second part of the talk, I analyze the role of touch and more specifically skin-mediated stimulation in providing auxiliary proprioceptive feedback to guide hand movements.