MIRAI Technology Institute, Shiseido Co., Ltd., Yokohama, Japan.
Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Skin Res Technol. 2023 Mar;29(3):e13295. doi: 10.1111/srt.13295.
The tactile perceptions arising on the skin mediate representations of the body and perceptions of the external physical world. Thus, these tactile sensations greatly impact our lives. Although tactile perception is caused by skin deformation, few studies have investigated the contribution of skin physical properties to tactile perception because the skin deformation in response to mechanical stimuli is difficult to measure in real time. In this study, we investigated how the skin deforms in response to externally applied mechanical stimuli and the effect of skin deformation on tactile perception.
Tactile perception was assessed using psychophysical methods. A suction device was used to measure skin deformation in response to mechanical stimuli while assessing tactile perception. The relationship between skin deformation and tactile perception was investigated.
Individuals show different skin deformation behavior in response to stimuli of the same intensity, and the amount of skin deformation affects the perceived pressure induced by suction stimulation. Furthermore, when the amount of skin deformation is small, tactile perception becomes more difficult, and the ease of tactile perception varies.
We argue that dynamic skin behavior is an important factor in tactile perception. Focusing on skin physical characteristics from a constructivist perspective of complex tactile perception may lead to improved tactile communication perception through the control of skin physical properties and realistic tactile presentation in remote environments.
皮肤产生的触觉感知介导了身体的表象和对外界物理世界的感知。因此，这些触觉感觉极大地影响了我们的生活。尽管触觉感知是由皮肤变形引起的，但很少有研究调查皮肤物理特性对触觉感知的贡献，因为皮肤对机械刺激的响应变形很难实时测量。在这项研究中，我们研究了皮肤如何响应外部机械刺激而变形，以及皮肤变形对触觉感知的影响。
使用心理物理方法评估触觉感知。使用抽吸装置测量皮肤对机械刺激的响应变形，同时评估触觉感知。研究了皮肤变形与触觉感知之间的关系。
个体对相同强度的刺激表现出不同的皮肤变形行为，皮肤变形量影响抽吸刺激引起的感知压力。此外，当皮肤变形量较小时，触觉感知变得更加困难，触觉感知的容易程度也会发生变化。
我们认为，动态皮肤行为是触觉感知的一个重要因素。从复杂触觉感知的建构主义视角关注皮肤物理特性，可能通过控制皮肤物理特性和在远程环境中实现真实的触觉呈现，改善触觉通信感知。
