The User Experience of Wearable Skin Stretch Haptic
Team: Robert Pettys-Baker, Brad Holschuh
Program: Wearable Technology Lab
Skin stretch is a unique haptic stimulus because it is such a familiar, all-encompassing sensation in daily life. For example, the massage of one’s arm or the deformation of the skin during movement. Despite this familiarity, skin stretch is difficult to reproduce artificially on the body in ways that are functionally effective, while also maintaining a positive user experience.
In pursuing the development of a skin strain device, a designer must actively engage with users and their opinion; this focused qualitative approach is missing in the skin stretch literature. Leaving a great deal of intriguing design information left unstated in the literature, and hinders the ability to optimize skin stretch for human use. To address these challenges, a garment-based skin stretch system was developed, tested, and refined. A mixed methods approach was used to allow for testing of the system while also gathering comprehensive experiential feedback from the participants.
Traditional apparel manufacturing methods are used to create a forearm device capable of providing skin stretch on the forearm. A reconfigurable hook and eye actuation system using shape memory alloy actuators provides the stretch stimulus, and a silicone back layer to anchor the device to the skin.
Keywords: Haptic Skin Stretch, Soft Robotics, Shape Memory Actuators
Funders: Funded in part by a UMN Human Factors and Ergonomics Program microgrant
