Design and optimization of support structures for tactile feedback.

Vibration motors are often used to generate tactile feedback to enhance human-machine interactions and provide information about the environment. We are interested in using these motors to enhance user feedback when wearing below-knee prostheses by providing informational cues via vibrations on the thigh. Our initial designs to hold the motors against the thigh resulted in a weak perception of vibration. We took an engineering approach to improve sensation by modeling the system and designing a new device that maximized skin displacement. Our results show the new suspended design increased skin displacement for both types of vibrational motors.