A Study on Semantic Association between Transmitted Information and Design Parameters of Vibrotactile Signals

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of design parameters of vibrotactile signals on semantic association with transmitted information conveying different meanings. Background: As information communication relying on human visual channel becomes excessive, the utility of vibrotactile signals is being interested as a substitute measure of delivering information. Properly designed hapticons may relieve burden of visual communication by rendering distinct and meaningfully compatible haptic sensations. Method: A typical Kansei engineering approach was adopted in this study. Ten most distinctive hapticons were selected among those having different frequencies and amplitudes. Associations between the hapticons and twenty four pairs of adjectives used to describe the state of automobile in control were gathered from thirty subjects using semantic differential scales. Results: The selected pairs of adjectives were summarized by factor analysis into two semantic dimensions named 'Awareness' and 'Directionality'. The experimental hapticons matched with the semantic dimensions were presented as a haptic emotion map. Conclusion: The results from this study support that frequencies and amplitudes of haptic signals play important roles in arousing different human perceptions regarding the two haptic emotional dimensions. Application: Properly designed hapticons with respect to the contents of transmitted information will increase human operator's situation awareness as well as system performance. The result from this study can be used to develop standardized hapticons for active haptic communication.