Measurement of sound, vibration and friction between soft materials under light loads

► We develop a measurement method to emulate tactile sensing. ► A new technique relates friction and adhesion forces to normal contact forces. ► The method can simultaneously measure sound, vibration and friction characteristics between two soft surfaces. Tactile perception of materials and surface texture involves friction under light normal loads and is fundamental to further advancing areas such as tactile sensing, haptic systems used in robotic gripping of sensitive objects, and characterization of products that range from fabrics to personal care products, such as lotions, on skin. This paper describes a new apparatus to measure friction simultaneously with dynamic quantities such as accelerations, forces, and sound pressures resulting from light sliding contact over a soft material, much like a finger lightly touching a soft material. The paper also introduces a novel friction and adhesion measurement method that can be particularly useful for soft materials and light normal loads.