COMMUNICATION BY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE SKIN.
Abstract
Equipment for the purpose of applying electrical stimuli to the skin has been assembled and tested. With this equipment it is possible to present stimuli that are controlled with respect to frequency, intensity, duration and locus. Stimuli may be presented manually, by means of a keyboard, or automatically, at predetermined sequences and rates, by means of punched tape. A code that makes use of two stimulus durations, two intensities, and ten loci has been constructed. This code contains thirty-nine different stimuli. Twenty-six of them stand for the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. The remaining stimuli are used for punctuation marks, and for frequently occurring letter groups such as 'ing'. These contracted forms have been taken directly from the Braille code. Also, the abbreviations that appear in the Braille code, such as 'ag' for again, have been used. Two other codes are to be tested. One will be the same as the one now in use, except that frequency will be substituted for intensity as a code cue. The other code will depend solely upon locus and will require the subject to recognize patterns of electrical stimuli applied simuli applied simultaneously to the skin. Concurrently with work on the code, exploration of the frequency dimension of the electrical stimulus has been undertaken. Threshold curves and equal apparent intensity contours have been determined. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0294648
Entities
People
- Emerson Foulke
Organizations
- University of Louisville