Electro-tactile preference identification using fuzzy logic

Electro-tactile based rehabilitation systems must be capable of self-tuning to suit the tactile preference of different users. However, tactile preference is difficult to assess in practice. We propose a Takagi-Sugeno-Kang (TSK) fuzzy logic modeling and control approach for the on-line assessment of tactile preference. The method relies on real-time measurements of voltage and power absorbed by the fingertip. Our results show that the fuzzy logic approach successfully models user tactile preference. We are currently developing an electro-tactile based Braille display (E-Braille) for assisting the blind and visually impaired (BVI) that exploits our fuzzy model.