title: Tactile perception of skin and skin cream by friction induced vibrations.
abstract: Skin cream smooths, softens, and moistens skin by altering surface roughness and tribological properties of skin. Sliding generates vibrations that activate mechanoreceptors located in skin. The brain interprets tactile information to identify skin feel. Understanding the tactile sensing mechanisms of skin with and without cream treatment is important to numerous applications including cosmetics, textiles, and robotics sensors. In this study, frequency spectra of friction force and friction induced vibration signals were carried out to investigate tactile perception by an artificial finger sliding on skin. The influence of normal load, velocity, and cream treatment time were studied. Coherence between friction force and vibration signals were found. The amplitude of vibration decreased after cream treatment, leading to smoother perception. Increasing normal load or velocity between contacting surfaces generated a smoother perception with cream treatment, but rougher perception without treatment. As cream treatment time increases, skin becomes smoother. The related mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- & Nanotechnology and Biomimetics, The Ohio State University, 201W. 19th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210-1142, USA; School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, PR China.
authors.forename: Shuyang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- & Nanotechnology and Biomimetics, The Ohio State University, 201W. 19th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210-1142, USA; School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, PR China. Electronic address: bhushan.2@osu.edu.
authors.forename: Bharat
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bhushan
mesh_terms: D001187:Artificial Organs; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology; D017276:Friction; D006801:Humans; D010316:Particle Size; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D063465:Skin Cream / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D014110:Touch; D014732:Vibration
keywords: Friction; Skin; Skin cream; Smoothness; Softness; Tactile perception; Tribology; Vibration