Experimental research on the tactile perception from fingertip skin friction

The research results indicate that the cerebral cortex responds sensitively to the variations in fingertips frictional force and vibration amplitudes. The human tactile perception is very sensitive to the fabric texture properties, which are described by the dimensions such as rough-smooth, coarse-fine and complex-uniform. The higher values of the fabric texture dimensions, the lower values in friction coefficient, and the more sensitive of tactile perception for the surface textures. Furthermore, it is noticed that the amplitude and distribution of brain signals response, i.e. ERPs (event related potentials) evoked by fingertip friction, is affected by the surface texture or friction coefficient. It is found that the response sensibility shown on the beginning peaks of ERP waveform has strong relation to the frictional stimulus on fingertip friction. The parameter of P3 latency (i.e. the third positive peak of ERP) is the distinct identifying information for the tactile perception of surface textures.