Biological Basics of Haptic Perception

Examples of haptic systems and the importance of the haptic sense have been discussed in the preceding chapters without actually giving an exact idea of the function of haptic perception. For the design of haptic systems it is vital to have a basic understanding of characteristic biological parameters, as only these will help to identify relevant technical requirements. This chapter introduces the most important terminology and basics for understanding the neurobiology of haptic perception. Please note that research on haptic perception is far from being complete. As a consequence this short presentation of complex biological coherences is a well-founded working hypothesis which will be extended or confuted by further research. In order to perceive information from our surroundings, man is equipped with five senses: Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, Sight and Touch. The physiology of senses distinguishes five sensors and sensory-systems [219] differing from this very popular definition.