Experiment of Finger Deformation by Pneumatic Nozzle

In order to study the relation between tactile sense and finger pad deformation during a tactile exploration task, a non-contact technique to measure the finger pad deformation was proposed in this paper. The finger pad deformation can be measured with high temporal and spatial resolution via laser displacement sensor installed on an XY movement workbench. The experimental results of the finger pad deformation in different conditions show that the characteristic of finger skin is viscoelastic. The parameters of viscoelastic model can be calculated by fitting method using the Kelvin model. They are helpful for modeling the mechanoreceptor responses in skin to improve the understanding of the mechanical behavior of the finger pad and of the relation between mechanical stimuli and tactile perception.