Improving Perceptual Quality of Electrotactile Stimulation Using Biomimetic Temporal Coding

Abstract

This study investigates whether biomimetic temporal encoding of electrotactile stimuli can reduce tingling sensations and enhance artificial pressure perception. Providing intuitive artificial tactile sensations is critical in mixed reality (MR) applications, where electrotactile stimulations have emerged as a promising means. Yet, electrotactile pressure sensations often accompany unnatural tingling, particularly at high stimulation frequencies. We hypothesized that mimicking the spike patterns of cutaneous afferents may mitigate tingling by reducing temporal incongruency in peripheral neuronal responses. To test this, we developed two biomimetic stimulation patterns based on physiological models and compared them with a conventional control stimulus. Six participants received electrotactile stimuli on the fingertip via surface electrodes and reported their perceived tingling-to-pressure ratio and dominant sensation. Results showed that the second biomimetic pattern, which incorporated adaptation observed in slowly adapting type I (SA-I) afferent, elicited more perceptual responses of pressure as the dominant sensation, while reducing tingling. These findings suggest that biomimetically patterned electrical stimulation can improve tactile perceptual quality.