Modulating the fidelity and spatial extent of electrotactile stimulation to elicit the embodiment of a virtual hand.

Restoring tactile feedback in virtual reality can improve user experience and facilitate the feeling of embodiment. Electrotactile stimulation can be an attractive technology in this context as it is compact and allows for high-resolution spatially distributed stimulation. In the present study, a 32-channel tactile glove worn on the fingertips was used to provide tactile sensations during a virtual version of a rubber hand illusion experiment.

Encoding contact size using static and dynamic electrotactile finger stimulation: natural decoding vs. trained cues.

Electrotactile stimulation through matrix electrodes is a promising technology to restore high-resolution tactile feedback in extended reality applications. One of the fundamental tactile effects that should be simulated is the change in the size of the contact between the finger and a virtual object. The present study investigated how participants perceive the increase of stimulation area when stimulating the index finger using static or dynamic (moving) stimuli produced by activating 1 to 6 electrode pads.

Novel Electrode Designs for Electrotactile Stimulation of the Finger: A Comparative Assessment.

Electrotactile stimulation can be an attractive technology to restore tactile feedback in different application scenarios (e.g., virtual and augmented reality, tele-manipulation).

Denoising task-related fMRI: Balancing noise reduction against signal loss.

Preprocessing fMRI data requires striking a fine balance between conserving signals of interest and removing noise. Typical steps of preprocessing include motion correction, slice timing correction, spatial smoothing, and high-pass filtering. However, these standard steps do not remove many sources of noise.

Closed-Loop Control of a Multifunctional Myoelectric Prosthesis With Full-State Anatomically Congruent Electrotactile Feedback.

State-of-the-art myoelectric hand prostheses provide multi-functional control but lack somatosensory feedback. To accommodate the full functionality of a dexterous prosthesis, the artificial sensory feedback needs to convey several degrees of freedom (DoF) simultaneously. However, this is a challenge with current methods as they are characterized by a low information bandwidth.

A compact system for simultaneous stimulation and recording for closed-loop myoelectric control.

Background: Despite important advancements in control and mechatronics of myoelectric prostheses, the communication between the user and his/her bionic limb is still unidirectional, as these systems do not provide somatosensory feedback. Electrotactile stimulation is an attractive technology to close the control loop since it allows flexible modulation of multiple parameters and compact interface design via multi-pad electrodes. However, the stimulation interferes with the recording of myoelectric signals and this can be detrimental to control.

Amplitude versus spatially modulated electrotactile feedback for myoelectric control of two degrees of freedom.

Objective: Artificial proprioceptive feedback from a myoelectric prosthesis is an important aspect in enhancing embodiment and user satisfaction, possibly lowering the demand for visual attention while controlling a prosthesis in everyday tasks. Contemporary myoelectric prostheses are advanced mechatronic systems with multiple degrees of freedom, and therefore, to communicate the prosthesis state, the feedback interface needs to transmit several variables simultaneously. In the present study, two different configurations for conveying proprioceptive information of wrist rotation and hand aperture through multichannel electrotactile stimulation were developed and evaluated during online myoelectric control.