Designing a non-contact wearable tactile display using airflows

Abstract

Traditional wearable tactile displays transfer tactile stimulations through a firm contact between the stimulator and the skin. We conjecture that a firm contact may not be always possible and acceptable. Therefore, we explored the concept of a non-contact wearable tactile display using an airflow, which can transfer information without a firm contact. To secure an empirical ground for the design of a wearable airflow display, we conducted a series of psychophysical experiments to estimate the intensity thresholds, duration thresholds, and distance thresholds of airflow perception on various body locations, and report the resulting empirical data in this paper. We then built a 4-point airflow display, compared its performance with that of a vibrotactile display, and could show that the two tactile displays are comparable in information transfer performance. User feedback was also positive and revealed many unique expressions describing airflow-based tactile experiences. Lastly, we demonstrate the feasibility of an airflow-based wearable tactile display with a prototype using micro-fans. © 2016 ACM.