ElectricItch: Skin Irritation as a Feedback Modality

TY - GEN

T1 - ElectricItch

T2 - 31st Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology

AU - Pohl, Henning

AU - Hornbæk, Kasper

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Grabbing users’ attention is a fundamental aspect of interactive systems. However, there is a disconnect between the ways our devices notify us and how our bodies do so naturally. In this paper, we explore the body’s modality of itching as a way to provide such natural feedback. We create itching sensations via low-current electric stimulation, which allows us to quickly generate this sensation on demand. In a first study we explore the design space around itching and how changes in stimulation parameters influence the resulting sensation. In a second study we compare vibration feedback and itching integrated in a smartwatch form factor. We find that we can consistently induce itching sensations and that these are perceived as more activating and interrupting than vibrotactile stimuli.

AB - Grabbing users’ attention is a fundamental aspect of interactive systems. However, there is a disconnect between the ways our devices notify us and how our bodies do so naturally. In this paper, we explore the body’s modality of itching as a way to provide such natural feedback. We create itching sensations via low-current electric stimulation, which allows us to quickly generate this sensation on demand. In a first study we explore the design space around itching and how changes in stimulation parameters influence the resulting sensation. In a second study we compare vibration feedback and itching integrated in a smartwatch form factor. We find that we can consistently induce itching sensations and that these are perceived as more activating and interrupting than vibrotactile stimuli.

KW - Haptics

KW - Itch feedback

KW - On-body interfaces

KW - Skin

KW - Wearables

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056899298&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1145/3242587.3242647

DO - 10.1145/3242587.3242647

M3 - Article in proceedings

SP - 765

EP - 778

BT - UIST 2018 - Proceedings of the 31st Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology

PB - Association for Computing Machinery

Y2 - 14 October 2018 through 14 October 2018

ER -