Tactile sensing utilizing human tactile perception

Human tactile perception incorporates two important characteristics - self-reference and bidirectionality. Self-reference is an important factor when evaluating tactile sensations. Bidirectionality contributes to sensing capability enhancement. In this paper, a tactile sensor including self-reference and bidirectionality is presented. The sensor with two microphones is mounted on a human finger. Users can apply the sensor while retaining their normal tactile perceptions and simultaneously obtaining sound and skin deformation data based on the mechanical interaction between the finger and the object. Experimental results on roughness evaluations and convexity detections show the validity of the proposed sensing method and its potential for use in various applications.