Investigating Movement-Related Tactile Suppression Using Commercial VR Controllers

When we perform a goal-directed movement, tactile sensitivity on the moving limb is reduced compared to during rest. This well established finding of movement-related tactile suppression is often investigated with psychophysical paradigms, using custom haptic actuators and highly constrained movement tasks. However, studying more naturalistic movement scenarios is becoming more accessible due to increased availability of affordable, off-the-shelf virtual reality (VR) hardware. Here, we present a first evaluation of consumer VR controllers (HTC Vive and Valve Index) for psychophysical testing using the built-in vibrotactile actuators. We show that participants' tactile perceptual thresholds can generally be estimated through manipulation of controller vibration amplitude and frequency. When participants performed a goal-directed movement using the controller, vibrotactile perceptual thresholds increased compared to rest, in agreement with previous work and confirming the suitability of unmodified VR controllers for tactile suppression research. Our findings will facilitate investigations of tactile perception in dynamic virtual scenarios.