Sensitivity to amplitude-modulated vibrotactile signals

Abstract

Temporal modulation transfer functions were measured for sinusoidally amplitude-modulated vibratory stimuli delivered to the thenar eminence of the hand. Results for sinusoidal carriers at 25, 50, 100, and 250 Hz reflected greater sensitivity to modulation than those for either broadband or narrow-band noise carriers. The correspondence of these results to other measures of temporal sensitivity in the tactile system was examined. In addition, findings are discussed in view of their relevance to comparisons across sensory modalities, and to the design of vibrotactile aids for hearing-impaired persons.