Tactile perception: Finger friction, surface roughness and perceived coarseness

Finger friction measurements performed on a series of printing papers are evaluated to determine representativeness of a single individual. Results show occasionally large variations in friction coefficients. Noteworthy though is that the trends in friction coefficients are the same, where coated (smoother) papers display higher friction coefficients than uncoated (rougher) papers. The present study also examined the relationship between the measured friction coefficients and surface roughness to the perceived coarseness of the papers. It was found that both roughness and finger friction can be related to perceived coarseness, where group data show that perceived coarseness increases with increasing roughness.