Surface haptics via electroadhesion: Expanding electrovibration with Johnsen and Rahbek

This work aims to demonstrate and explain a nearly century old electrostatic haptic effect in human fingertips, which has since gone unreported. This effect, based on the original work of Johnsen and Rahbek [1], as well as research on electrostatic chucking devices [2], is capable of producing electrostatic forces on the finger an order of magnitude greater than those previously reported in literature. It is also capable of working with DC excitation, an aspect which stands out against previous reports which utilize purely AC excitation. This work also proposes a unified force model for this effect, drawn from electrostatic chuck research, and resolves this model with those in previous reports. We briefly discuss the background and specifics of the Johnsen-Rahbek effect, and include measurements made with our own electroadhesive surface and experimental apparatus. Finally, we discuss how this model fits in with previous observations, and its implications going forward.