Comparing the Perception of Vibrotactile Feedback across Frequency and Body Location

Vibrotactile stimulation has the potential to augment virtual reality experiences for applications from job training and physical therapy to entertainment. At the same time, gaps in the current state of vibrotactile stimulation knowledge persist, particularly in relation to the effects and perceptions of this type of haptic feedback on different parts of the body. In this paper, we present the results from our psychophysics study evaluating the absolute vibration perception threshold values for 55 Hz and 250 Hz vibration signals on the anterior and posterior sides of the wrist, elbow, knee, and ankle joints. In our study (
$N=20$
), we measured perception threshold values using the method of adjustment and staircase method from the field of psychophysics. Results showed participants were able to sense 55 Hz vibrations at significantly lower magnitudes than 250 Hz vibrations. Additionally, both sides of the wrist were significantly more sensitive to vibrations than the majority of the other locations. Future implementations of vibrotactile feedback in virtual reality can use these findings to strategically design vibration signals and select application sites.