A systems based experimental approach to tactile friction

A commonly made assumption is that, to describe the friction of human skin, the deformation component can be ignored and only the adhesive behaviour has to be taken into account. However, in this study it was found that the forces related to the (micro-scale) deformation of skin can have a significant contribution to the total friction force; this is valid both for dry conditions and in the presence of water, when hydration of the skin causes softening.