Estimating Contact Force Rate Using Skin Deformation Cues

Bingxu Li, Gregory J. Gerling, Tyler Cody

Abstract: Knowledge of contact force is important in various fields as it provides essential insights into the interactions between objects. Understanding the forces exerted during human-machine interactions is essential for optimizing performance and preventing discomfort or injury. Despite the significance of contact force, there are limited approaches for estimating it accurately when direct measurements are not available. Existing methods often come with constraints such as complexity, cost, and environmental limitations. This paper introduces a method for estimating contact force from skin deformation cues in bare-finger interactions using linear regression models. The statistical results from the linear models align with scientific studies, revealing a significant correlation between force and skin deformation that has a dependence on stimulus moduli. The developed models exhibit reliable estimations of force, with robustness to variances between trials and insensitivity to individual differences in skin properties. This approach offers an alternative method for estimating contact force and indicates the potential of models for estimating key variables associated with user experience.