In this paper we outline the design process of TaSST (Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch), a touch-sensitive vibrotactile arm sleeve. The TaSST was designed to enable two people to communicate different types of touches over a distance. The touch-sensitive surface of the sleeve consists of a grid of 4x3 compartments filled with conductive wool. Each compartment controls the vibration intensity of a vibration motor, located in a grid of 4x3 motors beneath the touch sensitive layer. An initial evaluation of the TaSST was conducted in order to assess its capabilities for communicating different types of touch.
In this paper we present the concept and initial design stages of the TaSST (Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch). The TaSST consists of a soft pressure-sensitive input layer, and an output layer containing vibration motors. A touch to ones own sleeve is felt as a vibration on the sleeve of another person. The idea behind the TaSST is to enable two people to communicate dierent types of touch at a distance. We will outline the design process of the TaSST, describe some initial results from a user study, and discuss possible applications of the TaSST.
In this paper we investigate the expression of emotions through mediated touch. Participants used the Tactile Sleeve for Social Touch (TaSST), a wearable sleeve that consists of a pressure sensitive input layer, and a vibration motor output layer, to record a number of expressions of discrete emotions. The aim was to investigate if participants could make meaningful distinctions in the tactile expression of the emotions.
In Nederland zijn er zo’n 451.900 mensen die lijden aan de gevolgen van een beroerte. Na een beroerte heeft 80% van de patiënten te maken heeft met een verminderde arm-hand vaardigheid. Deze groep is gebaat bij een revalidatietool die zelfstandig kan worden ingezet, aanzet tot veelvuldig gebruik en direct inzicht geeft in vorderingen, zoals de toename van kracht in de hand of individuele vingers. Virtual Reality-spellen met directe krachtterugkoppeling kunnen hier een uitkomst bieden. De hiervoor benodigde technologie zoals VR, platform, gaming, en bewegingsregistratie is voor een groot deel beschikbaar, maar nog niet specifiek toepasbaar op de problematiek van de handrevalidatie. Belangrijke elementen in de reële wereld, zoals de tastzin, de kracht in de grip, de wrijvingsweerstand met het oppervlak en de weerstand van het object zijn in de virtuele wereld nog nauwelijks vertegenwoordigd. Het onderzoek in dit project spitst zich toe op de vraag: In hoeverre kan met huidig beschikbare technologie de hand-object manipulatie zodanig worden nagebootst in de virtuele omgeving dat het gevoel overeenkomt met de reële, fysieke ruimte en het een bruikbare tool wordt voor handrevalidatie? Uitkomstmaten en gebruikerseisen worden geïnventariseerd en getoetst met het werkveld van handtherapeuten en patiënten. Hiermee wordt een ontwikkelingsstap gezet richting een handrevalidatie tool in VR met forcefeedback waar patiënten zelfstandig thuis mee kunnen oefenen en die direct de vorderingen monitort. Het consortium borduurt voort op eerdere samenwerking binnen Fontys Hogescholen in het SIA RAAK-project SmartScan, aangevuld met specifieke expertise van de TU Eindhoven, MKB-bedrijven op het gebied van VR-technologie en serious gaming in de zorg, en hand- en revalidatieklinieken. Met het project kan een kiem gelegd worden voor een handexpertisecentrum gericht op het uitwisselen van kennis vanuit de technische, (para)medische en gamedisciplines.
Psychosocial problems related to social isolation are a growing issue for wellbeing and health and have become a significant societal problem. This is especially relevant for children and adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and those spending extended periods in hospitals or permanently living in assisted living facilities. A lack of social relationships, social connectivity, and the inability to travel freely leads to feelings of isolation and loneliness. Loneliness interventions often use mediated environments to improve the feeling of connectedness. It has been proven that the utilization of haptic technologies enhances realism and the sense of presence in both virtual environments and telepresence in physical places by allowing the user to experience interaction through the sense of touch. However, the technology application is mostly limited to the experiences of serious games in professional environments and for-entertainment-gaming. This project aims to explore how haptic technologies can support the storytelling of semi-scripted experiences in VR to improve participants’ sense of presence and, therefore, the feeling of connectedness. By designing and prototyping the experience, the project aims to obtain insights and offer a better understanding of designing haptic-technology-supported storytelling and its potential to improve connectedness and become a useful tool in isolation interventions. The project will be conducted through the process of participants’ co-creation.
Despite the recognized benefits of running for promoting overall health, its widespread adoption faces a significant challenge due to high injury rates. In 2022, runners reported 660,000 injuries, constituting 13% of the total 5.1 million sports-related injuries in the Netherlands. This translates to a disturbing average of 5.5 injuries per 1,000 hours of running, significantly higher than other sports such as fitness (1.5 injuries per 1,000 hours). Moreover, running serves as the foundation of locomotion in various sports. This emphasizes the need for targeted injury prevention strategies and rehabilitation measures. Recognizing this social issue, wearable technologies have the potential to improve motor learning, reduce injury risks, and optimize overall running performance. However, unlocking their full potential requires a nuanced understanding of the information conveyed to runners. To address this, a collaborative project merges Movella’s motion capture technology with Saxion’s expertise in e-textiles and user-centered design. The result is the development of a smart garment with accurate motion capture technology and personalized haptic feedback. By integrating both sensor and actuator technology, feedback can be provided to communicate effective risks and intuitive directional information from a user-centered perspective, leaving visual and auditory cues available for other tasks. This exploratory project aims to prioritize wearability by focusing on robust sensor and actuator fixation, a suitable vibration intensity and responsiveness of the system. The developed prototype is used to identify appropriate body locations for vibrotactile stimulation, refine running styles and to design effective vibration patterns with the overarching objective to promote motor learning and reduce the risk of injuries. Ultimately, this collaboration aims to drive innovation in sports and health technology across different athletic disciplines and rehabilitation settings.
