Evidence of Tactile Dom Minance When Integrated with Proprioception–Application to Haptic Feedback Interfaces

Abstract

This paper aims to emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach that may be able to account for tthe results in haptic feedback studies and to describe a framework for future research to achieve optimal surgical performance in haptiic feedback robotic surgery. Specifically, the value of integrating and unders standing the sensorimotor weighting mechanisms underlyin ng laparoscopic performance will be highlighted to develop future design, traiining and use of haptic feedback robotic surgery devices. TThe results presented in this study show that the sagittal distance estimate betw ween touched positions on the upper limb can be systematiccally biased by manipulating the touched position on the arm, although the s sagittal separation remains unaltered (12.7cm). These resu ults are somewhat surprising regarding the participants apparent neglect of pro oprioceptive input which would indicate limb position follo owing changes in elbow and shoulder joint angles and muscle length. If the pa articipant was optimizing the use of their proprioceptive inp put it would be expected that movement of the limb would translate into a com mputation to maintain the status quo of the perceived separattion of the probe and button. These results suggest that reporting tactile separa ation may be more difficult across limbs compared to withiin one limb and that sensory cues about tactile position (touched body segme ent and the distance from anatomical landmarks) outweig gh joint angle/muscle length positional information.