CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 827Tactile and Sensory InteractionsTeleoperation and Haptic SystemsEEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces

Electrotactile and vibrotactile displays for sensory substitution systems

Kaczmarek, K.A., Webster, J.G., Bach-y-Rita, P., Tompkins, W.J.·1991·IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
DOI 10.1109/10.68204
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Sensory substitution systems provide their users with environmental information through a human sensory channel (eye, ear, or skin) different from that normally used, or with the information processed in some useful way. We review the methods used to present visual, auditory, and modified tactile information to the skin. First, we discuss present and potential future applications of sensory substitution, including tactile vision substitution (TVS), tactile auditory substitution, and remote tactile sensing or feedback (teletouch). Next, we review the relevant sensory physiology of the skin, including both the mechanisms of normal touch and the mechanisms and sensations associated with electrical stimulation of the skin using surface electrodes (electrotactile (also called electrocutaneous) stimulation). We briefly summarize the information-processing ability of the tactile sense and its relevance to sensory substitution. Finally, we discuss the limitations of current tactile display technologies and suggest areas requiring further research for sensory substitution systems to become more practical.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1109/10.68204

Cites

120 of 120 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Hearing and vibration can serve as a substitute for touch and pressure, respectively.

    “For instance, Kaczmarek et al. (1991) revealed that hearing and vibration can serve as a substitute for touch and pressure, respectively.”

    From Selectivity and Longevity of Peripheral-Nerve and Machine Interfaces: A Review. (2017) · cites this paper as Kaczmarek et al. (1991)

    The paper describes the opposite direction for hearing: in “C. Two-Dimensional Display” (p. 2), auditory information is presented to the skin, not hearing used to replace touch. The same section describes pressure sensors controlling electrotactile stimulation for teletouch, rather than vibration substituting for pressure. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Different stimulation parameters (frequency and amplitude of the vibration) result in different types of sensory information such as proprioception.

    “Different stimulation parameters (i.e., frequency and amplitude of the vibration) result in different types of sensory information such as proprioception (Kaczmarek et al., 1991; Mildren and Bent, 2016).”

    From Selectivity and Longevity of Peripheral-Nerve and Machine Interfaces: A Review. (2017) · cites this paper as Kaczmarek et al., 1991

    The Single-Element Display section (p. 1) says stimulation intensity or frequency can convey information, and describes vibration intensity conveying sound intensity. It also describes frequency or amplitude conveying prosthetic elbow angle, but that example uses electrotactile rather than vibrotactile stimulation. The One-Dimensional Display section (p. 2) describes a vibrotactile display of elbow angle, without saying it varies vibration frequency or amplitude to do so. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Part of this paper’s reference list could not be split into single entries.

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. [6][6] —, "Visual information through the skin-A tactile vision substitution system,"Trans. Amer. Acad. Opthalmol. Otolaryngol., vol. 78, pp. OP-729–OP-739, 1974. -
  2. [11][11] —, Experiments in Hearing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960. -
  3. [16][16] J. C. Bliss, '"Summary of three Optacon-related cutaneous experiments," in Conf. Cutaneous Commun. Syst. Devices, F. A. Geldard, Ed., Psychonomic Society, 1973, pp. 84–94. -
  4. [29][29] C. C. Collins and F. A. Saunders, "Pictorial display by direct electrical stimulation of the skin,"J. Biomed. Syst., vol. 1, pp. 3-16, 1970. 29. -o os , y . ce ment," in Proc. San Diego Biomed. Symp., vol. 13, 1974, pp. 15-26. -
  5. [30][30] J. C. Craig, "Pictorial and abstract cutaneous displays,"in Conf. Cutaneous Commun. Syst. Devices, F. A. Geldard, Ed., Psychonomic Society, 1973, pp. 78–83. -
  6. [41][41] —, The Human Senses. New York: Wiley, 1972. -
  7. [55][55] J. F. Hahn, "Vibratory adaptation," in Conf. Cutaneous Commun. Syst. Devices, F. A. Ġeldard, Ed., Psychonomic Society, 1973, pp. 6-8. -
  8. [54][54] J. F. Hahn, "Tactile adaptation," in The Skin Senses, D. R. Kenshalo, Ed. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas, 1968, pp. 322-326. -

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Kaczmarek, K. A., Webster, J. G., Bach-y-Rita, P., & Tompkins, W. J.
Affiliations
University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
ORCID
Venue
IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering
Publisher
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Published
1991
Volume
38
Issue
1
Pages
1-16
ISSN
0018-9294 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1109/10.68204
OpenAlex
W2165394321
Cited by
827
References
120
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 39 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 47 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 35
FWCI
2.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplorehelp/downloads/license-information/IEEE.html (vor)
Locations
  • IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Minds at UW (University of Wisconsin) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ns026328-03)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS26328)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Teleoperation and Haptic Systems
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
Keywords
sensory substitution, electrocutaneous stimulation, vibrotactile display, tactile information processing
MeSH terms
Artificial Intelligence, Data Display, Electric Conductivity, Humans, Pattern Recognition, Automated, Physical Stimulation, Sensation, Sensory Aids

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review