Application of haptic technology has been increasing steadily over the past several years. The fundamental physics of haptic technology lies in the interaction between the finger and the object. In this sense, the frictional behavior at the contact in...
Application of haptic technology has been increasing steadily over the past several years. The fundamental physics of haptic technology lies in the interaction between the finger and the object. In this sense, the frictional behavior at the contact interface needs to be clearly understood in order to optimize the performance of haptic-based systems. In this work the frictional behavior of a finger tip with respect to various sliding conditions and materials such as paper, wood, leather, glass, metal, and plastic was assessed. A custom-built experimental apparatus was used to measure the friction and normal forces as the finger was pressed and slid against a specimen surface. Friction experiments were performed under both dry and wet conditions. Experimental results showed that friction coefficient ranged between 0.39 to 2.47 depending on the sliding condition and material. Also, the ridge structure of the finger tip was identified to have a significant influence on the frictional behavior.