Synthesis of vibrotactile frequencies S Kuroki, J Watanabe, S Nishida |
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Human Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Japan
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| Since combination of signals from trichromatic cone photoreceptors forms visible color in human vision, a wide range of colors can be artificially reproduced from a small number of primary colors. Conceptually similar to color vision, vibrotactile signals are detected by a few broadband receptors, each sensitive to low- and high-frequency vibrations. It is known that the activation of each mechanoreceptor can carry information about vibration frequency, but the relative activity of the two mechanoreceptors could be also a useful code of frequency as in color vision. If so, a range of perceived frequency might be artificially reproduced only by a few frequencies, each activating separate channel. To test this possibility, we simultaneously presented 30 Hz and 240Hz vibrations to different fingers of the participants, and asked them to judge whether the perceived frequency of the synthesis pair was lower or higher than that of 30, 42, 60, 85, 120, 170, or 240 Hz vibrations presented to the same two fingers. The results indicated that the apparent frequency of synthesis pair was in the middle of the two presented frequencies, with the position being shifted according to an intensity ratio of the two frequencies. Our result demonstrates synthesis of vibrotactile frequencies. |
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