Evaluation of tactile friction, vibrations and the influence of finger skin moisture on grained polypropylene plates

摘要

In this contribution the influence of the hydration level of human skin on the coefficient of friction and the power of mechanical vibrations elicited in the human finger is explored. To this end five polypropylene compounds with the same surface texture but slightly different material composition were investigated. The coefficient of friction and vibrations were measured simultaneously for various skin hydration levels. This allowed us to identify the moisture content of the skin as the prime determinant for the measurement results. While frictional forces rise with increasing moisture content the vibrational power declines. This is understood in terms of the different mechanical properties of moist and dry skin.