Advisor Information
Aaron Likens
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
End Date
26-3-2021 12:00 AM
Abstract
Heaviness perception is the ability to use haptic feedback from effortful touch to determine the weight of a wielded object. The perception of an object being wielded does not rely solely on the object’s mass, but muscular effort as well. When an object is wielded, torques and moments of inertia are produced. The inertia tensor contains those moments and provides information about how mass is distributed in a rigid body. The corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the inertia tensor have been related to an object’s perceived magnitudes (e.g., weight) and directions (e.g., orientation with respect to hand), respectively. The inertia tensor can be visualized as an ellipsoid, which is produced in effect from the constraints related to the position of the limb. In this study, we will manipulate the eigenvectors associated with an object in relation to the limb.
Recent studies have also provided evidence that adding noise to a weak stimulus can enhance a person’s ability to detect it. Introducing a subthreshold (vibrational) stimulus embedded with noise may, in some cases, improve sensations gained from limb movements. We hypothesize that adding vibrotactile noise of various forms will improve accuracy in perceiving the heaviness of a wielded object.
Stochastic Resonance and Heaviness Perception
Heaviness perception is the ability to use haptic feedback from effortful touch to determine the weight of a wielded object. The perception of an object being wielded does not rely solely on the object’s mass, but muscular effort as well. When an object is wielded, torques and moments of inertia are produced. The inertia tensor contains those moments and provides information about how mass is distributed in a rigid body. The corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the inertia tensor have been related to an object’s perceived magnitudes (e.g., weight) and directions (e.g., orientation with respect to hand), respectively. The inertia tensor can be visualized as an ellipsoid, which is produced in effect from the constraints related to the position of the limb. In this study, we will manipulate the eigenvectors associated with an object in relation to the limb.
Recent studies have also provided evidence that adding noise to a weak stimulus can enhance a person’s ability to detect it. Introducing a subthreshold (vibrational) stimulus embedded with noise may, in some cases, improve sensations gained from limb movements. We hypothesize that adding vibrotactile noise of various forms will improve accuracy in perceiving the heaviness of a wielded object.