Effects of presentation of shear deformation to finger pad on tracing movements

Human sensory inputs and motor outputs mutually affect each other. This study focuses on the shear deformation of a finger pad during tracing movements. A tactile interface influences the sensory-motor relationships during the tracing movements by manipulating the deformation of the finger pad. We conducted a preliminary experiment involving five participants and confirmed that the moving distances of the finger increased when the finger pad deformations were amplified by the tactile device. In addition, according to introspection, the participants perceived variations in the friction of a sheet of paper on which their fingers slid. We concluded that the presentation of shear deformation to the finger pad during tracing affects human motor outputs and the perceived friction of materials.