Psychophysics of vibrotactile stimulation.

The effects of a wide range of stimulus parameters upon the psychophysical responses of subjects are important to an understanding of the functional characteristics of neural systems that underlie responses to cutaneous mechanical stimulation and the interactions that may occur between these systems. This understanding may also be useful to design considerations in the development of devices for tactile communication. This paper begins with a brief description of the two major systems in terms of psychophysical measurements and then focuses on a more detailed examination of possible interactions between them. The effects of time and space variables, such as frequency, temporal and intensity relationships between stimuli, area of stimulation, and surface gradients on the skin, are considered.