TickleFoot: Design, Development and Evaluation of a Novel Foot-Tickling Mechanism That Can Evoke Laughter

Abstract

Tickling is a type of sensation that is associated with laughter, smiling, or other similar reactions. Psychology research has shown that tickling and laughter can significantly relieve stress. Although several tickling artifacts have been suggested in prior work, limited knowledge is available if those artifacts could evoke laughter. In this article, we aim at filling this gap by designing and developing a novel foot-tickling mechanism that can evoke laughter. We first developed an actuator that can create tickling sensations along the sole of the foot utilising magnet-driven brushes. Then, we conducted two studies to identify the most ticklish locations of the foot’s sole and stimulation patterns that can evoke laughter. In a follow-up study with a new set of participants, we confirmed that the identified stimuli could evoke laughter. From the participants’ feedback, we derived several applications that such a simulation could be useful. Finally, we embedded our actuators into a flexible insole, demonstrating the potential of a wearable tickling insole.

Shifting Design Perspectives: Touch, Co-Location, and Sharing Objects during the Pandemic

“…So I feel like we've, for the most part, like the couple friends that I've seen outside, we've had that same, like, awareness." (P14, age [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] This respondent, like many others, had an awareness about their friends' sense of "comfortable distance", and felt safe in a proximal space with friends who shared this same awareness. This example might demonstrate that people who prioritize safety are willing to gather with friends and family who display a congruent awareness about personal "bubbles".…”

“…I'm not sure." (P12, age [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] This respondent describes a sentiment shared by many that emerged when people entered public spaces and could not determine how safe each person was. The inability to assess the level of safety leads to new efforts to strategize how one could keep safe in a given situation ("where do I triangulate myself to be the furthest distance from, like all of them").…”

“…I'll miss those things for sure." (P7, age [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] For P7, a home is a place immersed in human contact. At the same time, the home became a place where three places (work, church, and home) overlapped too much, leading to a desire for personal space she once found at work or church.…”

“…and it's like you know being near that person at the ocean when the sun's coming up and we're drinking some coffee." (P8, age [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44] This example demonstrates the importance of physical co-locatedness without technological mediation on multiple levels. First, people's desire to move away from technology to feel the physical presence of others in the fore, such as a shared sense of presence, is important because being physically together facilitates mutual focus, shared emotion, and rhythmic entrainment [21,37].…”

“…And not being able to do that has been really challenging." (Participant #8, age [34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] In the United States, like in many countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how people gather, communicate, and connect. This disruption is due to physical distancing measures enforced in early 2020 to reduce the spread of disease.…”