Elucidation of temporal and spatial resolution of temperature sensation and its engineering applications

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K11994
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 61020:Human interface and interaction-related
• Research Institution: Nara Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Sato Katsunari 奈良女子大学, 工学系, 准教授 (00708381)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 菅原 徹 京都工芸繊維大学, 材料化学系, 教授 (20622038)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 温度感覚 / 時間分解能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, the temporal resolution of human temperature sensation was evaluated in order to obtain design guidelines for a two-dimensional temperature distribution stimulation device. As an engineering application of the obtained findings, we fabricated a prototype temperature distribution stimulation device with a matrix wiring of multiple Peltier elements and confirmed that the spatiotemporal pattern of temperature stimulation is useful for tactile sensory presentation. In addition, a prototype of a flexible Peltier device was fabricated, and its usefulness and issues were clarified. Furthermore, based on the evaluation results of the temporal resolution of the human sensation of temperature, we constructed a system that can transmit vibration and temperature information as audio signals, and demonstrated the usefulness of the findings from this study with regard to the perceptual characteristics of the sensation of temperature.

Free Research Field

人間情報学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で示した人の温冷感覚の時間分解能は、人の触知覚メカニズムのさらなる解明に貢献することに加え、温度分布刺激デバイスや温冷感覚の伝達システムなどの設計指針として活用される。これは、従来の視聴覚情報を扱うメディアに触覚の要素が加わる身体性メディアの発展や、温冷刺激を用いたヘルスケア機器の発展を促す成果である。