Preliminary Study on SED Distribution of Tactile Sensation in Fingertip

Abstract

For investigating the effects of stimuli on the deformations within the soft tissues of fingertips and the dependence of the tactile sensation on the deformations under pressure, in this paper, a finite element model is developed, to simulate the procedure of a fingertip touching a sharp wedge. Characteristics of the strain energy density (SED) distribution within the soft issues are analyzed. Simulation results show that the soft tissues of fingertips are very sensitive to stimuli, and the spatial distribution characteristics of strain energy density within soft tissues can best explain the evoked charging rate of mechanoreceptors.