title: Toward a tactile language for human-robot interaction: two studies of tacton learning and performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility for robot-to-human communication of a tactile language using a lexicon of standardized tactons (tactile icons) within a sentence.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Improvements in autonomous systems technology and a growing demand within military operations are spurring interest in communication via vibrotactile displays. Tactile communication may become an important element of human-robot interaction (HRI), but it requires the development of messaging capabilities approaching the communication power of the speech and visual signals used in the military.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Experiment 1 (N = 38), we trained participants to identify sets of directional, dynamic, and static tactons and tested performance and workload following training. In Experiment 2 (N = 76), we introduced an extended training procedure and tested participants' ability to correctly identify two-tacton phrases. We also investigated the impact of multitasking on performance and workload. Individual difference factors were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experiment 1 showed that participants found dynamic and static tactons difficult to learn, but the enhanced training procedure in Experiment 2 produced competency in performance for all tacton categories. Participants in the latter study also performed well on two-tacton phrases and when multitasking. However, some deficits in performance and elevation of workload were observed. Spatial ability predicted some aspects of performance in both studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants may be trained to identify both single tactons and tacton phrases, demonstrating the feasibility of developing a tactile language for HRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tactile communication may be incorporated into multi-modal communication systems for HRI. It also has potential for human-human communication in challenging environments.
authors: University of Central Florida, Orlando.
authors: Daniel J
authors: DJ
authors: Barber
authors: University of Central Florida, Orlando.
authors: Lauren E
authors: LE
authors: Reinerman-Jones
authors: University of Central Florida, Orlando gmatthews@ist.ucf.edu.
authors: Gerald
authors: G
authors: Matthews
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D012371:Robotics; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014110:Touch; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D016526:Workload; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: human–robot interaction; multitasking; tactile communication; tactons; workload