RT Journal Article
T1 Improving electrotactile communication with a multi-pad electrode under cognitive load
A1 Jure, Fabricio A.
A1 Spaich, Erika G.
A1 Petrini, Laura
A1 Malešević, Jovana
A1 Kostić, Miloš
A1 Štrbac, Matija
A1 Došen, Strahinja
AB Background: Electrotactile systems are compact interfaces that can be used to convey information through the skin by producing a range of haptic sensations. In many applications, however, the user needs to perceive and interpret haptic stimulation while being engaged in parallel activities. Developing methods that ensure reliable recognition of electrotactile messages despite additional cognitive load is, therefore, an important step for the practical application of electrotactile displays. Methods: This study investigated if a simple strategy of repeating electrotactile messages can improve message identification during multitasking. Ten participants identified 36 spatiotemporal electrotactile messages delivered through a 3 × 2 pad–matrix electrode placed on the torso while performing a concomitant cognitive task in three conditions: the messages were presented once (No-REP), and each message was repeated three (REP3) and five (REP5) times. The main outcome measure was the success rate (SR) of message identification. Results: During multitasking, in the No-REP condition, the SR (median (IQR)) dropped to 56.25% (22.62%), demonstrating that the cognitive task decreased performance. However, the SR significantly improved with message repetitions, reaching 72.92% (21.87%) and 81.25% (18.66%) in REP3 and REP5 conditions respectively, without a statistically significant difference between REP3 and REP5. Conclusions: Multitasking affected the efficacy of haptic communication, but message repetition was shown to be an effective strategy for improving performance. Additionally, only three repetitions were enough, as an additional increase in the duration of message transmission (5 repetitions) did not lead to further improvement. This study is an important step toward delivering electrotactile communication that can cope with the demands of real-world applications.
SN 0160-564X
YR 2024
FD 2024-06
LA eng
NO Jure , F A , Spaich , E G , Petrini , L , Malešević , J , Kostić , M , Štrbac , M & Došen , S 2024 , ' Improving electrotactile communication with a multi-pad electrode under cognitive load ' , Artificial Organs , vol. 48 , no. 6 , pp. 626-635 . https://doi.org/10.1111/aor.14700
NO Publisher Copyright: © 2023 International Center for Artificial Organ and Transplantation (ICAOT) and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
NO The present study was supported by the project SIXTHSENSE funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 883315.
DS TECNALIA Publications
RD 28 jul 2024