The role of mechanical stimuli on hedonistic and topographical discrimination of textures

Recognition of texture properties requires sliding contact between finger and object surface. Although it is well known that vibrations stimulate the tactile afferents, the mechanism by which Friction-Induced Vibrations (FIVs) interfere with tactile perception is still unknown. As well, the role of mechanical stimuli on hedonistic feedback from the touched surface is unknown. Correlations between surface features and perception are here examined, while the analysis of the mechanical stimuli, which are the direct elements of activation of the human receptors, is performed. Two different sensory analyses are exploited: hedonistic perception and perception dimension categorization. The analysis of the frequency and amplitude of the FIVs, allowed for explaning the correlations between the perception analyses and the topography characteristics of the samples. •Mechanical stimuli measurement and analysis during passive touch.•Correlation between topography features, perception categories and mechanical stimuli.•Correlation between hedonistic discrimination of textures and friction-induced vibrations.•Role of friction-induced vibrations and contact forces on hedonistic and topography perception.