Effect of Contactor Area on the Vibrotactile Threshold

Vibrotactile thresholds were determined as a function of frequency, contactor configuration, and contactor area. It was found that contactor area is a more important stimulus parameter than the gradient or curvature of displacement. The absolute threshold for vibration seems to be independent of frequency when very small contactors are used and independent of area at low frequencies. For higher values of these parameters, it strongly depends on both. It seems reasonable to conclude that responses to mechanical displacement of the skin are mediated by more than one receptor system, although direct evidence is still lacking.