Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing

Karina Kirk Driller; David Gueorguiev; Camille Fradet; Vincent Hayward; Jess Hartcher-O'Brien

doi:10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298

Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing

Karina Kirk Driller, David Gueorguiev, Camille Fradet, Vincent Hayward, Jess Hartcher-O'Brien

Human Factors

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

We investigated whether surface texture (i.e., stochastic roughness) influences softness perception during direct touch interactions with elastic, textured stimuli. Using a Bayesian adaptive modeling approach and a 2AFC task, we evaluated participants' ability to discriminate the softness of stimuli that varied in both their stochastic surface roughness (Hurst exponent) and material elasticity. To explore potential interactions between these features, we conducted two discrimination experiments, testing stimuli from two distinct ranges of elasticity. All participants performed the task using pressing. Results show that softness discrimination was determined primarily by material elasticity, with no discernible influence of surface features. The findings suggest that humans effectively isolate elasticity-based information from smaller-scale surface topography or texture during direct pressing with the finger.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025
Editors	Katherine J. Kuchenbecker
Publisher	IEEE
Pages	64-70
Number of pages	7
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-3315-3353-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025 - Suwon, Korea, Republic of Duration: 8 Jul 2025 → 11 Jul 2025

Conference

Conference	2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025
Country/Territory	Korea, Republic of
City	Suwon
Period	8/07/25 → 11/07/25

Bibliographical note

Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

Keywords

cue combination
softness perception
texture and material perception

Access to Document

10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298

Haptic_Softness_Perception_is_Invariant_to_Surface_Texture_During_PressingFinal published version, 44.5 MB

Cite this

@inproceedings{a7c10a332b524b9795b744baeb03dc56,

title = "Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing",

abstract = "We investigated whether surface texture (i.e., stochastic roughness) influences softness perception during direct touch interactions with elastic, textured stimuli. Using a Bayesian adaptive modeling approach and a 2AFC task, we evaluated participants' ability to discriminate the softness of stimuli that varied in both their stochastic surface roughness (Hurst exponent) and material elasticity. To explore potential interactions between these features, we conducted two discrimination experiments, testing stimuli from two distinct ranges of elasticity. All participants performed the task using pressing. Results show that softness discrimination was determined primarily by material elasticity, with no discernible influence of surface features. The findings suggest that humans effectively isolate elasticity-based information from smaller-scale surface topography or texture during direct pressing with the finger.",

keywords = "cue combination, softness perception, texture and material perception",

author = "Driller, \{Karina Kirk\} and David Gueorguiev and Camille Fradet and Vincent Hayward and Jess Hartcher-O'Brien",

note = "Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.; 2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025 ; Conference date: 08-07-2025 Through 11-07-2025",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298",

language = "English",

pages = "64--70",

editor = "Kuchenbecker, \{Katherine J.\}",

booktitle = "2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025",

publisher = "IEEE",

address = "United States",

}

Driller, KK, Gueorguiev, D, Fradet, C, Hayward, V & Hartcher-O'Brien, J 2025, Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing. in KJ Kuchenbecker (ed.), 2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025. IEEE, pp. 64-70, 2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025, Suwon, Korea, Republic of, 8/07/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298

Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing. / Driller, Karina Kirk; Gueorguiev, David; Fradet, Camille et al.
2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025. ed. / Katherine J. Kuchenbecker. IEEE, 2025. p. 64-70.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing

AU - Driller, Karina Kirk

AU - Gueorguiev, David

AU - Fradet, Camille

AU - Hayward, Vincent

AU - Hartcher-O'Brien, Jess

N1 - Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository as part of the Taverne amendment. More information about this copyright law amendment can be found at https://www.openaccess.nl. Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - We investigated whether surface texture (i.e., stochastic roughness) influences softness perception during direct touch interactions with elastic, textured stimuli. Using a Bayesian adaptive modeling approach and a 2AFC task, we evaluated participants' ability to discriminate the softness of stimuli that varied in both their stochastic surface roughness (Hurst exponent) and material elasticity. To explore potential interactions between these features, we conducted two discrimination experiments, testing stimuli from two distinct ranges of elasticity. All participants performed the task using pressing. Results show that softness discrimination was determined primarily by material elasticity, with no discernible influence of surface features. The findings suggest that humans effectively isolate elasticity-based information from smaller-scale surface topography or texture during direct pressing with the finger.

AB - We investigated whether surface texture (i.e., stochastic roughness) influences softness perception during direct touch interactions with elastic, textured stimuli. Using a Bayesian adaptive modeling approach and a 2AFC task, we evaluated participants' ability to discriminate the softness of stimuli that varied in both their stochastic surface roughness (Hurst exponent) and material elasticity. To explore potential interactions between these features, we conducted two discrimination experiments, testing stimuli from two distinct ranges of elasticity. All participants performed the task using pressing. Results show that softness discrimination was determined primarily by material elasticity, with no discernible influence of surface features. The findings suggest that humans effectively isolate elasticity-based information from smaller-scale surface topography or texture during direct pressing with the finger.

KW - cue combination

KW - softness perception

KW - texture and material perception

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015965206

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DO - 10.1109/WHC64065.2025.11123298

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:105015965206

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EP - 70

BT - 2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025

A2 - Kuchenbecker, Katherine J.

PB - IEEE

T2 - 2025 IEEE World Haptics Conference, WHC 2025

Y2 - 8 July 2025 through 11 July 2025

ER -

Haptic Softness Perception Is Invariant to Surface Texture During Pressing

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