A Skin-Integrated Force-Electrical Coupling Haptic Interface for Muscle Fatigue Reduction and Tactile Reproduction

Haptic feedback technology shows great potential in medical rehabilitation and augmented reality, significantly enhancing immersion and feedback accuracy in human–computer interaction. However, most existing haptic feedback devices rely on a single feedback mode and lack flexibility, strong force output, and effective multimodal haptic reproduction. In this article, we propose a thin, soft, dual-mode flexible tactile actuator that delivers high-fidelity haptic feedback through combined force and electrical stimulation. The actuator operates stably within a wide frequency range (0 Hz–150 Hz) and can output a normal force of up to 363 mN with a displacement of 0.96 mm. The current threshold is 1.2 mA, exceeding the tactile perception threshold of human skin. The actuator enhances electrical tactile stimulation by force assistance in the force tactile mode, allowing the generated force to activate deeper skin receptors. This coupling effect reduces the current threshold, alleviates muscle fatigue, and enables accurate texture recognition with an accuracy of 94% for rough textures and 100% for smooth textures, approximating real tactile perception. This tactile technology shows great potential for applications in muscle rehabilitation and force feedback.