A Conceptual and Experimental Exploration of Electrovibration on the Palm and the Body

We present an exploration of electrovibration beyond the fingertip. We first explored the design space and feasibility of electrovibrating clothing and wearables, before pivoting to its use on rigid objects that our palms frequently brush against. We then conceptualized and sketched an electro-vibrating keyboard that produces tactile feedback on the palms. To better understand the capabilities of this keyboard, we then conducted a psychophysical experiment with 14 participants to measure the detection thresholds of electrovibration at the palm and the fingertip. We found no statistically significant difference between the palm and fingertip, which suggests that the palm is an appropriate target for electrovibration.