To date most of the research concerned with exploring the use of the skin for human-computer communication has focused on tactile displays, which represent a promising arena for enhancing the display of information in situations in which the visual and auditory systems are overloaded. But in addition to its tactile sensors, the skin also houses thermal receptors that respond to changes in skin temperature and convey information about the magnitude and rate of change in temperature. Thermal feedback may potentially be of use as a channel of communication or in enhancing tactile and visual feedback in multisensory displays. The PI's objective in this research is to explore the domains in which thermal feedback can be used as a medium of communication and to identify the types of inputs that are most effective for users, with the long term goal of discovering conditions under which thermal feedback enhances human performance as reflected in more efficient information processing or the ability to respond more effectively to an external event. The focus is on using thermal interfaces within the context of a multisensory environment to display abstract information rather than to facilitate object recognition in a virtual environment or when controlling a tele-operated robot. The human thermal sensory system presents unique challenges when considered as a medium of communication due to its spatial and temporal properties which differ from those of other sensory systems. Although this constrains the types of cues that can be presented to users, it also opens up the possibility of creating new forms of feedback which by virtue of their novelty may be quite compelling to users. The work will be divided into three thrusts: determine the optimal configuration and operating characteristics of thermal displays interfaced with input devices used to interact with computers; evaluate the feasibility of using thermal stimuli to represent abstract information and appraise the viability of using thermal cues to present novel sensory experiences such as illusions of moisture or wetness; and examine whether the representation of information in multisensory displays is enhanced when thermal feedback is presented concurrently with tactile and visual cues.
Broader Impacts: There is very little research on the feasibility of using thermal displays to present abstract information, so this work has the potential to open a fundamentally new application domain for thermal interfaces. The availability of thermal cues in displays should increase the designer's ability to choose among modalities and assign functions and types of information to the channel that is best suited for their presentation. Project outcomes will also contribute to the development of sensory substitution systems for those with visual, auditory or vestibular impairments; there has been a considerable amount of research on using the sense of touch to compensate for deficiencies in other senses and the addition of thermal feedback to such displays provides an added dimension for communication, potentially increasing the reliability of communication.
