Speaker: Rachel Jakes
Advisor: Prof. Tyler
Title: Exploring Transcutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation to Elicit Tactile Sensation
Abstract: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is a non-invasive method of peripheral nerve stimulation that involves passing current across the skin to activate neurons. While TENS has historically been used for clinical applications like pain relief and functional electrical stimulation, it also has the potential to elicit tactile sensation. Specifically, surface stimulation of the digital nerves in the fingers has been preliminarily implemented to communicate the sense of touch in both virtual and remote environments. However, there is still a need to explore the space surrounding digital nerve surface stimulation paradigms to investigate the potential modulation of tactile sensation features such as perceived quality and intensity. This talk will examine the use of TENS for tactile feedback and discuss avenues to maximize the technology's impact in industry and research.