TickleFoot: Design, Development and Evaluation of a Novel Foot-Tickling Mechanism That Can Evoke Laughter

Tickling is a type of sensation that is associated with laughter, smiling, or other similar reactions. Psychology research has shown that tickling and laughter can significantly relieve stress. Although several tickling artifacts have been suggested in prior work, limited knowledge is available if those artifacts could evoke laughter. In this article, we aim at filling this gap by designing and developing a novel foot-tickling mechanism that can evoke laughter. We first developed an actuator that can create tickling sensations along the sole of the foot utilising magnet-driven brushes. Then, we conducted two studies to identify the most ticklish locations of the foot’s sole and stimulation patterns that can evoke laughter. In a follow-up study with a new set of participants, we confirmed that the identified stimuli could evoke laughter. From the participants’ feedback, we derived several applications that such a simulation could be useful. Finally, we embedded our actuators into a flexible insole, demonstrating the potential of a wearable tickling insole.

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Formation of Arbitrary Stimulus Classes in Matching to Complex Samples: Supplementary Data

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1992.75.2.505 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 505-506 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Robert Stromer ◽

Joan Butcher Stromer

Keyword(s):

Matching To Sample ◽

Supplementary Data ◽

Prior Work ◽

Complex Samples ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Stimulus Classes

A follow-up study of work published in 1990 showed that consistent use of Tone-relevant trials during training and testing baselines contributed to the reliable formation of 5-member stimulus classes during matching to sample. With Tone-irrelevant trials during either training or testing 4 of 12 subjects formed such classes, but none did so when such trials were used in both training and testing baselines. This extends our prior work.

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Electron Microscopy of Human Gallstones

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100065523 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 29 ◽

pp. 296-297

Author(s):

C. Wolpers ◽

R. Blaschke

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Room Temperature ◽

Bile Pigment ◽

X Ray Diffraction ◽

Triclinic Crystal System ◽

X Ray ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Infra Red ◽

Main Components

Scanning microscopy was used to study the surface of human gallstones and the surface of fractures. The specimens were obtained by operation, washed with water, dried at room temperature and shadowcasted with carbon and aluminum. Most of the specimens belong to patients from a series of X-ray follow-up study, examined during the last twenty years. So it was possible to evaluate approximately the age of these gallstones and to get information on the intensity of growing and solving.Cholesterol, a group of bile pigment substances and different salts of calcium, are the main components of human gallstones. By X-ray diffraction technique, infra-red spectroscopy and by chemical analysis it was demonstrated that all three components can be found in any gallstone. In the presence of water cholesterol crystallizes in pane-like plates of the triclinic crystal system.

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