Modelling Vibrotactile Perceptual Threshold Levels – a Tool for Haptic Human Computer Interaction Design

The vibrotactile perception threshold (VPT) is an important measure for haptic HCI design. It influences factors such as usability, cognitive load and perceived quality of vibrational feedback. Over the years, many measurements have been published for various conditions of body region, frequency, contact area, age, stimulus duration, etc.. However, a practical model, which combines these measurements to determine the perception threshold for engineering use cases, is still missing. This work aims to address this issue by presenting a model based on an aggregated database containing over 2,000 VPT literature data points, which are available for public use via open access (website ¹ and download). Based on fits, which were created from the database, the model calculates the VPT for 10 body regions. Furthermore, it is able to correct the VPT for higher user ages as well as for short stimulus durations. In addition to the model, we provide a literature review on influences on the VPT and their relevance for vibrotactile interaction design.