Force Sensation Induced by Electrical Stimulation of the Tendon of Biceps Muscle

• Main Authors: Akifumi Takahashi, Hiroyuki Kajimoto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: haptics; sense of force; proprioception; tendon; electrical stimulation; biceps
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/17/8225

Many wearable interfaces have been proposed to present force to the upper limb and elbow joint. One way to achieve a compact wearable haptic interface is to use electrical stimulation, and we have suggested that transcutaneous electrical stimulation above the wrist tendon can produce force a sensation in the direction of the muscle stretching; however, it has not been investigated in detail whether the force sensation presented by the electrical stimulation of the tendon occurs in the upper limb joints. In this study, to investigate whether the force sensation is generated when applying electrical stimulation of the skin at the tendon or at the muscle belly of the biceps brachii muscle, we quantitatively evaluated the direction and amount of the force sensation under the aforementioned conditions. The results showed that the electrical stimulation of the tendon produced significant force sensation in the direction of elbow extension. On the other hand, in some participants, the electrical stimulation of the muscle belly worked as a supporting force, resulting in the sensation of weakened force perception. In general, we concluded that the sensation produced by muscle stimulation was different from that produced by stimulation of the tendon.