• bioengineering
• biorobotics
• haptic interface
• haptics
• telehaptics
• telepresence
• touch

A Haptic Interface (HI) is a device with the capability of reproducing physical stimuli to induce tactile sensations. This thesis work aims to develop and validate an arm-worn vibrotactile HI through a neuromorphic approach for telepresence applications. A flexible vibrotactile HI based on a 2x2 thin flexible piezoelectric actuator array was designed. In parallel, a bioinspired sensor system was considered, and a preliminary HI based on ERM actuators was developed for the system validation. The bioinspired sensor system consists of a biomimetic MEMS-based 2x2 sensor array integrated in a robotic fingertip. The sensor outputs are conveyed to an embedded FPGA system, and fed into the Izhikevich neuronal model to be converted into spike-trains. The obtained spike-trains are then used as a trigger to generate the corresponding vibration pattern through the HI. Each ERM actuator is driven by a PWM signal generated at the FPGA target’s DI/O. The actuators are embedded into a soft polymeric support structure for the HI to match the user’s skin compliant properties. To validate the system, 14 subjects participated in a psychophysical test, in which they were asked to recognize a set of stimuli provided to the sensor system based on the stimulation that they experience through the HI on their arm. The outlined HI shows promising results in the integration of neuromorphic haptic feedback to remotely transfer touch perception in a biomimetic manner.