The Effects of Physiological Stress on Tactile Communication

The researcher-constructed tactile display prototype has been used to conduct a variety of laboratory studies that have demonstrated positive results for tactile signaling and communication. This prototype display that uses precision tactors and skilled placement of them exhibits potential for superior reception of the vibration in the appropriate skin receptors. The purpose of this study was to determine if this prototype tactile display could still produce accurate reception of tactile localization and messaging under physiological stress. Results showed that USMA cadets running on a treadmill had almost error free performance, demonstrating that messaging and localization of tactile signals seemed to be unaffected by physiological arousal or stress.