Human vibration perception from single- and dual-frequency components

This paper covers three different studies with respect to human perception of vertical vibrations. Although the amplitudes and frequencies throughout the experiments are set to match those that might occur in lightweight floor constructions, the results can be seen as general. A motion simulator generates signals from 5 to 31.5 Hz and the test subjects receive the vibrations sitting on a wooden chair. In the first study, the absolute threshold values from sinusoidal signals are determined. The results agree reasonably well with those found from other similar studies. In study number two, threshold values are determined in the presence of an 8 Hz base component. The threshold values were generally found to be higher than those obtained in the first study, except in the case of 10 Hz which due to beating effect gave an even lower threshold level than when the signal was played alone. The third study is about annoyance from dual sinusoidal vibrations, always including a base signal of 8 Hz at fixed amplitude. In similarity with study two, test persons reported to be more annoyed as the second signal component gets close to the base frequency and, naturally, they also got more annoyed as the amplitude increased.