Haptic Harmony

Music-to-tactile translation via wearable vibrotactile devices, enabling richer musical experience for cochlear implant users. The project investigates how amplitude and frequency map to tactile discriminability, establishing the perceptual parameters for effective haptic encoding of musical content.

A three-actuator sleeve delivering tactile accompaniment to music enhanced perception beyond what a cochlear implant alone provides. Separate psychophysical work showed that amplitude is the dominant channel for vibrotactile discrimination at the wrist — frequency-only changes were near chance, and combined cues offered no additional benefit.