Effect of Electrical Stimulation Frequency on Vibratory Sensation Induced by Nerve Bundle Stimulation

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is a technology for inducing various sensations by electrically stimulating sensory nervous systems. Nerve bundle electrical stimulation is a type of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation that can induce tactile sensations on the hand without attaching electrodes to the hand. Therefore, nerve bundle stimulation is expected to be applied in tactile displays and superimposition technologies for virtual and augmented reality. However, the quality of the induced tactile sensation has not been qualitatively evaluated. In this study, the relationship between the frequency of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and that of the induced tactile sensation was investigated. The results indicated that the frequencies of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and induced tactile sensation were approximately proportional at up to a 100-Hz transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation frequency. This finding can be used to modify the vibration sensations in virtual and augmented reality systems.