• Lee, J. Walter
• Foo, Esther
• Ozbek, Simon

Abstract

<p>The sensation of touch is integral to everyday life. Current haptics research focuses mainly on vibrations, tap, and point pressures, but the sensation of distributed pressures such as compression are often overlooked. We investigated the subjective comfort and emotional effects of applied on-body compression, specifically on the torso and upper arms, through a pilot user study incorporating a novel, low-profile, and actively-controllable compression garment. The active compression garment was embedded with contractile shape memory alloys (SMAs) to create dynamic compression on the body. Qualitative interview data collected (n=8) were used to generate a list of findings to inform the future creation of a computer-mediated compression garment that is wearable, comfortable, and safe for use.</p>

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy