Surface electrical nerve stimulation that is delivered as tactile feedback to allow the user to experience a natural sensation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system. 【Solution means】The system is capable of delivering tactile feedback, and by applying an electrical stimulus to a first region of the user's body, induces the user's body to experience a predetermined level of natural sensation corresponding to the movement and intensity of the movement that occurred in a simulated remote environment of the second region. The system includes a controller that sets parameters for electrical stimulation based on the movement and intensity of the movement that occurred in the simulated remote environment. The system further includes a signal generator that generates an electrical stimulus having the parameters. The system further includes a skin surface electrode that is disposed at a first position on the user's body that is spaced apart from a second position on the user's body, and delivers an electrical stimulus having the parameters to a nerve in or near the first region of the user's body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001] (Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 352,654, filed on June 16, 2022, entitled "Surface Electrical Nerve Stimulation to Provide a Natural Sensation to a User by Being Delivered as Tactile Feedback," and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 394,319, filed on August 2, 2022, entitled "Surface Electrical Nerve Stimulation to Provide a Natural Sensation to a User by Being Delivered as Tactile Feedback." The entire contents of these provisional applications are hereby incorporated by reference and used for all purposes.

Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to tactile feedback delivered by electrical nerve stimulation, and more specifically, to a system and method for inducing a second region of a user's body to experience a natural sensation as tactile feedback by delivering surface electrical nerve stimulation to a nerve in or near a first region of the user's body.

Background Art

[0003] As the gaming industry evolves comprehensively into different and more advanced technologies, users are able to experience cross-reality (XR) scenarios. When XR (or even a real environment remote from the user) operates in a simulated remote environment to deliver tactile feedback, it becomes more realistic for the user. Tactile feedback generally refers to communicating with one or more users using touch. Current tactile feedback technologies, such as vibration motors, force feedback exoskeletons, and pneumatic airbag systems, do not provide a natural representation of touch related to actions occurring in a simulated remote environment, and these tactile feedback technologies inhibit the movement of the user and are bulky, stationary, and / or have a limited working space. Electrical nerve stimulation can be used to provide an alternative to conventional tactile feedback.

[0004] Currently, electrical nerve stimulation for providing tactile feedback is typically described as unpleasant or is known to cause paresthesia / paralysis. Also, such electrical nerve stimulation is transmitted directly to the location where the sensation is felt and may interfere with the user's movement and function. Recently, a more realistic electrical nerve stimulation method using a new type of waveform in which the electrodes of an implant come into direct contact with the nerves of limb amputees has been developed. However, in general XR applications for people without limb loss, implanting electrodes into the user's body is not realistic. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0005] This specification describes a non-invasive method of tactile feedback using electrical nerve stimulation that induces a natural sensation generated in a second region of a user's body by applying electrical stimulation to the surface of a nerve in or near a first region of the user's body and uses it as tactile feedback regarding a simulated remote environment. The simulated remote environment may exist in cross-reality (XR) or in an actual environment separated from the user. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM

[0006] In one aspect, the present invention can provide a system. The system can induce, by applying an electrical stimulus to a first region of a user's body, a second region of the user's body to experience a predetermined level of natural sensation corresponding to an action and the intensity of the action that occur in a simulated remote environment. The system includes a controller, and the controller can be configured to set parameters for the electrical stimulus based on an action that occurs in the simulated remote environment, the position of the action that occurs in the simulated remote environment, and the intensity of the action that occurs in the simulated remote environment. The system further includes a signal generator coupled to the controller, and the signal generator can be configured to generate an electrical stimulus having the parameters. The system further includes at least one skin surface electrode coupled to the signal generator, and the skin surface electrode can be configured to be disposed at a first position on the user's body that is spaced apart from a second position on the user's body. By applying an electrical stimulus having the parameters to a nerve at the first position on the user's body, the second position on the user's body is induced to experience a predetermined level of natural sensation corresponding to an action and the intensity of the action that occur in the simulated remote environment.

[0007] In another aspect, the present invention can provide a device. The device is arranged on at least a part of the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm and / or hand, so as to apply an electrical stimulation to a first area of the user's body, thereby inducing the user to experience a predetermined level of natural feeling according to the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in a simulated remote environment where a second area of the user's body is simulated. The device includes at least one skin surface electrode, and the skin surface electrode is configured to apply an electrical stimulation with parameters to the nerves at a first position on the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm and / or hand, thereby inducing the user to experience feedback according to the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in a simulated remote environment where a second position on the user's fingertip, finger or hand is simulated. The skin surface electrode is coupled to a signal generator that defines an electrical stimulation with parameters, and the signal generator is coupled to a controller that defines the parameters. The device further includes a fixing device for fixing the surface electrode to the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm and / or hand. Note that the device (for example, a glove) itself may be the fixing device.

[0008] In yet another aspect, the present invention can provide a method. The method includes applying an electrical stimulation to a first area of the user's body, thereby inducing the user to experience a predetermined level of natural feeling according to the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in a simulated remote environment where a second area of the user's body is simulated. The method includes steps of: the controller receiving the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in the simulated remote environment; the controller setting parameters for the electrical stimulation based on the actions and the intensity of the actions; and the controller transmitting the parameters for the electrical stimulation to a signal generator. The signal generator generates an electrical stimulation signal with parameters, and transmits the electrical stimulation signal to the skin surface electrode, thereby delivering the electrical stimulation signal to the nerves at a first position on the user's body, and thereby inducing the user to experience a predetermined level of feeling according to the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in a simulated remote environment where a second position on the user's body is simulated.

[0009] In another aspect, provided is a method of distributing stimulation parameters to different surface electrodes related to an action generated in a simulated remote environment by a controller and / or a signal generator. The surface electrodes are capable of delivering a stimulation to a nerve at one or more first positions of the surface electrodes, thereby causing a sensation related to the action to be experienced at a second position. The second position may be different from the first position. Thus, stimulation of the nerve at or near the first position can cause a distal-related sensation at the second position. For example, the position where the stimulation is received may be a position on the hand, and the second position may be a position on the fingertip.

[0010] The above and other features of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] I. Definitions Unless otherwise defined, all scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

[0013] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" can include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0014] As used herein, the terms "comprise" and / or "include" can specify the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups.

[0015] As used herein, the term "and / or" can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0016] As used herein, terms such as "first", "second", etc. should not be used to limit the elements described by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. Thus, the "first" element discussed below may be referred to as the "second" element without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Also, in the following embodiments, the order is not necessarily essential, except when specifically stated and when it is considered otherwise clearly not the case in principle.

[0017] As used herein, the term "tactile feedback" can mean communicating with one or more users by using touch. When used in combination with an interactive reality application, tactile feedback can be delivered in response to an action occurring in a simulated remote environment. As used herein, tactile feedback can be delivered by electrical nerve stimulation. When delivered by electrical nerve stimulation, tactile feedback can give the user a natural sensation.

[0018] As used herein, the term "natural sensation" means a perception caused by mimicking and / or replicating the physical sensations of movements that occur in a simulation and / or a remote environment. A natural sensation may be different from a sensation due to mechanical stimulation. In some cases, a perception can be initiated via electrical nerve stimulation of one or more sensory nerves. A natural sensation can be felt as an associated sensation that is spaced apart from the location where the electrical nerve stimulation is applied.

[0019] As used herein, the term "associated sensation" relates to a somatic sensory sensation emitted from a body part associated with a stimulated body part other than the stimulated body part. For example, by stimulating a nerve at or near a first location, a somatic sensory sensation can be introduced to a second location (e.g., a fingertip) associated with the first location (e.g., connected to the same nerve, the same nerve root, the same vertebral level, etc.) to cause a distal associated sensation to be felt. An associated sensation can at least approximate a natural sensation.

[0020] As used herein, the term "electrical nerve stimulation" can mean delivering one or more electrical pulses (current and / or voltage) to transmit one or more action potentials to one or more nerves. Electrical nerve stimulation and "electrical stimulation" may be used interchangeably herein. Examples of electrical pulses include, for example, square, rectangular, slope, logarithmic, exponential, etc. The electrical pulse may be one pulse, or may be in a form including two or more pulses.

[0021] As used herein, the term "simulated environment" (also referred to as "simulated remote environment") refers to an environment in which at least a part of what a user experiences and / or interacts with is realized by a computer, including, but not limited to, the location, articles, simulated articles, and other users of an environment that is at least partly generated by a computer. The term "remote" refers to an environment that is at least partly realized by a computer. For example, operations can occur in a simulated remote environment and can be controlled by a user or occur to a user. The simulated remote environment may exist in cross-reality (XR) and / or in a physical (real-world) environment remote from the user.

[0022] As used herein, the term "cross-reality" or "XR" is an umbrella term that can refer to any physical and / or virtual combined environment and human-machine interaction (e.g., operations and visual / tactile feedback) generated by computer technology and / or wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted displays, smart glasses, etc.). XR can include a virtual range input from partial sensors into immersive virtual reality. XR includes, but is not limited to, typical forms such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality (VR), and the ranges therebetween. An example of XR is full VR, where the simulated remote environment is fully realized by a computer and does not include true environmental constraints beyond the installation boundary conditions. Another example of XR is AR, where the simulated remote environment is partly realized by a computer and partly involves the real environment, and the part where AR is realized by a computer is extended.

[0023] As used herein, the term "intensity" of an action occurring in a simulated remote environment can refer to an attribute of a measurable quantity associated with the action. For example, it can be a force associated with the action. By changing one or more parameters related to the force and / or one or more parameters related to the timing, the intensity of the action can be reflected in an electrical stimulation signal.

[0024] As used herein, the term "skin surface electrode" can refer to an electrode that is placed on or near the user's skin surface and can transmit an electrical signal through the user's skin. For example, one or more skin surface electrodes can be positioned in a first region of the user's body (e.g., a predefined position within a glove or other device worn by the user), and at least a portion of the electrical stimulation can be delivered to the first region of the user's body to induce the second region of the user's body to experience a predetermined level of natural sensation.

[0025] As used herein, the term "user" can refer to one or more individuals who can immerse themselves in an XR environment and / or a simulated remote environment.

[0026] II. Summary When a simulated remote environment (e.g., in cross-reality (XR) and / or a physical environment remote from the user) operates in the simulated remote environment to deliver haptic feedback, it can be made more realistic for the user. However, current haptic feedback technologies are unable to provide a natural representation of touch associated with actions occurring in a simulated environment and / or severely impede the user's true life mobility during use. Electrical nerve stimulation can be used to provide an alternative to conventional haptic feedback. However, currently available electrical nerve stimulation for providing haptic feedback is typically known to cause discomfort and paresthesia / paralysis. Also, such electrical nerve stimulation stimulates the location where the sensation is felt (e.g., stimulating with an electrode at the fingertip is felt at the fingertip), which may interfere with the user's movement and function. Recently, electrical nerve stimulation for amputees has been developed using implanted electrodes and a new type of waveform to provide a more realistic sensation. Implanted electrodes make direct contact with the nerves of amputees, and in general XR applications for people without limb loss, implanting electrodes into the user's body is not realistic.

[0027] The present invention describes a non-invasive method that relates to tactile feedback. Based on a recently developed electrical nerve stimulation method delivered from one or more surface electrodes, electrical nerve stimulation is used to deliver tactile feedback and generate a more realistic natural sensation. The surface electrodes are placed at positions that do not impede the user's movement but can be involved in different positions via the underlying nerves. The sensation of tactile feedback (e.g., natural touch sensation) is experienced at a position that is somatosensorily and neurally related to, but not the somatosensory position (e.g., fingertip), where the tactile feedback is being delivered through the relevant sensation to any article (e.g., an article within an application using XR) that is in contact. Such a method targets the nerves connecting the brain to the area where the sensory receptors are present (e.g., fingertip). When a nerve is activated by applying a stimulus at a certain position (e.g., finger), the brain associates the nerve activity with the sensation occurring in one or more areas on the fingertip, leading to a sensation even if the receptors in one or more areas on the fingertip are not activated by physical contact, force, or direct stimulation. Therefore, the systems and methods described herein can deliver surface electrical stimulation in a first region of the user's body to induce the second region of the user's body to experience a natural sensation as tactile feedback. The stimulation mechanism targets the nerves rather than the mechanoreceptors and provides a sensation at a position different from the stimulation position.

[0028] III. System One aspect of the present invention is a non-invasive method for delivering haptic feedback to a user of a simulated remote environment, where the simulated remote environment may be a cross-reality (XR) or a physical environment remote from the user. As shown in FIG. 1, system 10 can apply electro-neural stimulation to the neural transmission surface in the first region of the user's body to induce the second region of the user's body to embody a natural sensation as haptic feedback. This is because related sensations are such that action potentials are transmitted from peripheral sensory nerves to the spinal cord and then to the brain, and the action potentials are perceived as sensory information from the second region. The illustration shows tools from an XR environment (e.g., at least partially virtual environment), but it should be understood that system 10 can operate in any simulated remote environment (e.g., an environment actually remote from the user).

[0029] The system includes an XR device 12, which may be configured to display to a user visual (and optional audio) information related to a simulated remote environment and / or at least a part of the simulated remote environment (e.g., a physical computer system for controlling a controller and / or motion sensing capabilities (e.g., provided by sensors and / or tracking devices) that function as the XR device 12) (e.g., via a display of the XR device 12). Thus, the XR device 12 may include a processing and control assembly and a visualization component, and the user can view at least one element of the simulated environment. Preferably, the XR device may further include an audio component (e.g., a speaker) to allow the user to hear at least one element of the simulation environment. The XR device 12 can prompt the user with haptic feedback regarding an action in the simulated environment when an action occurs (or after an action has occurred) in the simulated environment. The action can be at least one of an action caused by the user, an action occurring to the user, an interaction between the user and an article, a surface, or other aspects of the simulated remote environment (the XR device can also communicate with a controller 14, a game engine, etc.). For example, the XR device 12 can facilitate haptic feedback to the user via a signal indicating the type of action, the position of the action relative to the user, and / or the intensity of the action in the simulated remote environment. In this case, the XR device includes at least a wireless transmitter and may optionally include a wireless receiver and / or a wireless transceiver. The XR device 12 further includes a non-transitory memory for storing instructions and a processor (which may include the non-transitory memory), accessing the stored instructions, and executing the stored instructions to perform tasks necessary for the operation. At least some of the tasks necessary for the operation may include running a game or simulation of the remote environment, visualizing the game or simulation, receiving the user's movement, and inputting movement into the game or simulation, etc.The XR device 12, although labeled as an "XR" device, should be understood to be any device that facilitates visualization and haptic feedback regarding at least some simulated environments.

[0030] The system 10 can include a non - transitory memory for storing instructions and a processor (which may include the non - transitory memory), and a controller 14 (e.g., a microcontroller) that can access the stored instructions and execute the stored instructions to perform tasks necessary for operation. The controller 14 can wirelessly communicate at least partially with the XR device 12 a signal indicating the intensity, location, and / or nature of an action in a simulated remote environment, at least by a received signal. The controller 14 can include at least one of a wireless transmitter, receiver, or transceiver (not shown) for directly receiving and / or transmitting signals, data, and / or information wirelessly from / to the XR device 12. As another example, the controller 14 can communicate with the XR device 12 via a device of a game engine (e.g., a device of the computing system 52 shown in FIG. 5), the XR device 12 can wirelessly communicate with a computing system (including at least one wireless communication device not shown), and the computing system can communicate with the controller 14 via a wired connection. The controller 14 can identify the nature, intensity, location, and duration of an action, and can identify one or more parameters (intensity, velocity, location, and / or timing reflecting the relevant sensations required for the action) necessary for electrical stimulation.

[0031] The controller 14 can be connected to the signal generator 16 by wire and / or wirelessly. Although not shown in the figure, the signal generator 16 and the controller 14 can be embodied as one device. The controller 14 can send a signal indicating one or more parameters (e.g., pulse or pulse pattern) required for electrical stimulation to the signal generator 16, and generate a sense of negotiation required for operation in a simulated remote environment. When the signal generator 16 receives a signal from the controller 14, it can generate an electrical signal having one or more parameters located on the user's skin and send it to at least one of the one or more skin surface electrodes 18. As an example, the one or more parameters can include, but are not limited to, pulse width, frequency, amplitude, pulse shape, pulse interval, recharge phase width, recharge delay, etc. The type of stimulation referred to here can include changes in one or more stimulation parameters that can indicate changes in one or more stimulation parameters such that the pulse or pulse mode in the stimulation signal can provide and / or reflect a specific intensity. For example, the mode stimulation intensity can include a stimulation waveform (also referred to as electrical stimulation) having an initially adjusted pulse amplitude (PA) (e.g., during the calibration phase before using the system 10 via the controller 14), and achieve a maximum pulse width (PW) range within the capabilities of the simulator (e.g., the skin surface electrode 18). During the use of the system 10, the pulse width (PW) of the stimulation waveform can be adjusted (by the controller 14), and based on the operation at that time (e.g., the interaction between the user's hand and the virtual and / or remote item), the intensity of the dissing feeling can be modulated, the frequency of the stimulation waveform can be adjusted (by the controller 14) to modulate the frequency of the related sensation (e.g., continuous or flick sensation and tap speed), and the symmetry and shape of the stimulation waveform can be changed (by the controller 14) to modulate the quality of the related sensation based on the operation.

[0032] The controller 14 can change at least one of one or more parameters in which the operation or the intensity of the operation in a remote environment according to the simulation changes over time. The experience of the usage system 10 is more realistic and / or more finely different than current XR or remote control systems. The operation can be at least one of an operation by the user, an operation on the user, an interaction between the user and an article, a surface, or other aspects of the simulated remote environment, etc. Therefore, depending on the specific operation itself, one or more related sensations can be transmitted to the user via one or more changes in one or more parameters of the electrical signal at each point in time of the operation.

[0033] Based on a signal regarding an operation in a simulated remote environment received from the XR device, the controller 14 can identify an area on the user's body where tactile feedback should be felt via related sensations. The controller 14 can select which of the one or more skin surface electrodes 18 should deliver an electrical stimulus and can receive tactile feedback as a related sensation in an appropriate area of the body. For example, each of the one or more skin surface electrodes 18 can be arranged at different positions on the user's body. The positions of the one or more skin surface electrodes 18 are predetermined so as to result in a related sensation at a predetermined second position (the second position being a different position away from the predetermined electrode). In this case, the controller 14 can instruct the signal generator 16 to transmit an electrical signal having one or more parameters to at least one of the selected one or more skin surface electrodes, and generate a related sensation at or near the position of the user's body affected by the operation in the simulated remote environment. In some cases, the controller 14 can determine that an electrical signal should be transmitted to a plurality of skin surface electrodes 18, and the electrical signal transmitted to each skin surface electrode can depend on the operation and / or the intensity of the operation.

[0034] As described above, system 10 includes one or more skin surface electrodes 18, and the one or more skin surface electrodes 18 can deliver an electrical signal having one or more parameters from signal generator 16 through the user's skin to at least one nerve (e.g., at least one nerve near and / or below the location of each of the one or more skin surface electrodes delivering the electrical signal). One or more skin surface electrodes 18 can be connected to signal generator 16. The connection can be made by a wired connection, a wireless connection, or a combination of wired and wireless connections. In some cases, system 10 can include a single skin surface electrode located at a first position on the user's skin to provide a sensation at a known second position (a position remote from the first position) on the user's body. However, in other cases, system 10 includes a plurality of skin surface electrodes located at a plurality of positions on the user's skin (e.g., each electrode at a different position), and each of the plurality of skin surface electrodes delivering the electrical signal can provide an associated sensation at a different second position (a position remote from the stimulation position) on the user's body. Each instance of the associated sensation at one or more different second positions can have an intensity level (a sensation referred to as a predetermined level), a nature (continuous or tap), and / or a duration, respectively, based on one or more parameters of the electrical stimulation. For example, the associated sensation can be tactile feedback from a simulated remote environment, sensory feedback, and / or kinematics-based force feedback (providing neuromuscular and sensory stimulation).

[0035] Each of the one or more cutaneous electrodes 18 is disposed at a location (a first location) on the user's body at a second location remote from the user's body, and at the second location, it receives the same. FIG. 2 shows an exemplary system 20 that includes only one cutaneous surface electrode 18, but the following discussion can be applied to each of the one or more cutaneous surface electrodes 18 described above with respect to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, an exemplary system 20 can include a cutaneous electrode 18 positioned at a first location 22 on the user's skin and capable of receiving an electrical signal from a signal generator 16. The electrical signal from the signal generator 16 can be delivered through the user's skin from the cutaneous electrode 18 to a nerve at or near the first location 22 on the user's skin. The electrical signal can stimulate the nerve at the first location 22 (or in its vicinity). The nerve may be a sensory nerve capable of transmitting a nerve signal to the brain. In some cases, the nerve may be one or more sensory nerves and / or sensory fibers within the nerve. The stimulated sensory nerve can transmit a signal to the brain based on the electrical signal delivered from the cutaneous electrode 18 (e.g., one or more parameters based on the electrical signal determined by the controller 14 of FIG. 1, and a position based on the first location in the user's body). The brain associates the nerve activity from the stimulation with a sensation occurring at at least one second location 24 (which may be a region such as a fingertip region), and the receptors at the second location are not directly stimulated, physically contacted, or activated by force (or even those nerves, if there are more than one stimulus, are linked to the sensation.

[0036] Therefore, the brain experiences an associated sensation at the second location 24. After the sensory neurons in the nerve at the first location 22 (or in its vicinity) are sufficiently stimulated (e.g., the stimulus is large enough to conduct an action potential above the threshold, which is predefined or defined when the user uses or calibrates it for the first time), an associated sensation can be felt at the second location 24. One important condition for electrical signal stimulation of the nerve is that the nerve must innervate both the first location 22 and the second location 24. For example, the second location 24 may be along the same nerve as the first location 22 and farther from the spinal cord than the first location (e.g., the second location is distant from the first location). For example, the first location 22 is a position on the wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand, and the second location 24 may be a part of the finger and / or a part of the hand distant from the first location. In some cases, the first location 22 and / or the second location 24 can be located near a muscle. However, the first location 22 and / or the second location 24 do not need to be located near a muscle. Importantly, note that the method described herein is not a mechanical receptor targeting conventional touch, pressure, vibration, and / or voice tactile feedback, but rather electrically stimulates the nerve at the first location to cause an associated sensation at a second location different from the first location and is used for tactile feedback purposes.

[0037] By applying an electrical signal having one or more parameters to the one or more cutaneous surface electrodes 18 at a first location 22, nerves at or near the first location are stimulated to induce a second location 24 (e.g., away from the first location), and a natural feeling (e.g., a related feeling) of an operation and an operation intensity generated in a simulated remote environment is experienced. For example, in a simulated remote environment, if there is a user (e.g., shown in FIG. 3) grasping a ball, the user can feel as if actually grasping the ball at the second location 24 by the electrical signal applied by one or more cutaneous surface electrodes at the first location 22. By applying electrical signals having one or more different parameters to each of the one or more cutaneous surface electrodes 18, when the user grasps the ball, the feeling at the hand part can be simulated with a natural feeling at different second locations.

[0038] Thus, by stimulating the first location 22 with an electrical signal having one or more parameters, a more natural feeling is obtained as compared with the feeling by direct stimulation at the second location. For example, the user feels less abnormality in the related feeling as compared with direct electrical stimulation from a mechanical receptor at the second location. Also, when stimulating the nerve by delivering an electrical signal from the cutaneous surface electrode 18 (one of the one or more cutaneous electrodes) located at the first location 22 as compared with direct stimulation at the second location 24, the second location 24 experiences better sensory positioning accuracy. Note that the distance between the first location 22 and the second location 24 does not reduce the accuracy of the feeling (e.g., the intensity of the accurate feeling). The accuracy of the feeling (e.g., the accuracy of the feeling) means that the second location 24 where the feeling is received is a region where the feeling should be received based on the operation in the simulated remote environment (e.g., the hand region), and the system 20 transmits the correct feeling to the correct second location 24. For example, when grasping with the index finger in a simulated remote environment, the feeling delivered from the system 20 is felt by the index finger, not the little finger. That is, the second location 24 is a region affected by the operation in the simulated remote environment.

[0039] In some cases, as shown in FIG. 3, the XR device 12 is at least an XR head-mounted display device (or head-mounted device) worn by the user, and the controller 14 and / or the signal generator 16 and one or more electrodes 18 (of FIG. 1) can be embodied as one or more detection devices 32 (e.g., the user's hand, wrist, forearm, and / or elbow) that can be worn by the user. In FIG. 3, a sensor device 32 is shown as being worn on the user's hand. The XR device 12 can provide the user with at least a visualization of a simulated remote environment. For example, FIG. 3 shows a visualization of a simulated remote environment for a game in augmented reality (AR) and / or virtual reality (VR) having a baseball that the user can catch. The XR device 12 includes a device and / or a device (e.g., at least a part of the computing system 52 shown in FIG. 5, or a single controller and / or a wireless communication device), and the device facilitates communication of one or more detection devices 32.

[0040] One or more detection devices 32 are worn by the user, generate a stimulation signal (e.g., an electrical signal having one or more parameters) (via the signal generator 16 of FIG. 1), and deliver the stimulation signal to a first position on the user via one or more skin surface electrodes (e.g., one or more skin surface electrodes 18 of FIG. 1 or FIG. 2) included in the detection device 32. For example, the sensor device 32 may be a glove, a fingerless glove, a wristband, an armband, a sleeve, etc., and shields the first position 22 (even when applying a stimulus) and does not shield the second position 24 (the second position 24 is a position where a related sensation is felt and is separated from at least one of the first positions). For example, if the second position 24 is a part of the fingertip, the detection device 32 can cover the finger, hand, and / or the lower part of the wrist and not cover at least the corresponding fingertip. For example, as long as the fingertip is not covered, the user can interact with real objects in the AR normally and without hindrance with the fingertip. The fingertip is just an example, and the detection device 32 can be arranged so as not to shield other parts such as the finger, hand, palm, wrist, etc.

[0041] In the example of FIG. 3, the action of grasping the virtual ball is visualized in a pop-up window by the XR device 12 and can be accompanied by the feeling of grasping one or more balls. For example, the XR device 12 (and / or the attached computing device) can execute a game, and the user can grasp a ball (e.g., a basketball, a baseball, a soccer ball, a square ball, an avoidance ball, etc.), and the XR device can visualize a simulated remote environment for the game. The XR device 12 can detect that the user is grasping (or catching the ball) at all times during the grasping action (e.g., by hand motion capture, motion sensors, position sensors, external cameras, etc.). When a ball is caught in real life, it gives a feeling to the catching action, and the XR device 12 can send a signal to the detection device 32 at each time point. The sensor device 32 can receive a signal from the XR device 12 indicating that the virtual user is grasping the ball at each time point. The sensor device 32 (including the controller 14 and the signal generator 16 in addition to one or more skin surface electrodes 18) can determine which of the one or more skin surface electrodes to stimulate and one or more parameters of the electrical signal delivered through each specified skin surface electrode, and the detection device 32 can simulate the feeling of catching by the related feeling of the whole hand by applying an electrical signal through one or more skin surface electrodes. For example, the related feeling is simple and has a stimulating feeling that gradually becomes stronger in the process of catching the ball and can indicate the force of contact between the ball and the hand. The related feeling is also delicate and includes the natural feeling of the local tactile sensation when catching a ball with bare hands in real life. The example of FIG. 3 is just a simple example, and the system 10 can currently be used in XR devices and other virtual reality, cross-reality, and / or remote system controls that use conventional tactile or computer controls.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, an example of the detection device 32 may be a reusable fingerless glove that is arranged to cover at least a part of the user's hand (for example, a part of the palm and / or a part of the back of the hand and one or more fingers and / or the thumb), and may be arranged so that at least a part of one or more fingers of the user is not covered. However, other wearable sensor devices 32 may also be used. For example, the glove is not essential, and the skin surface electrodes may be included in one or more belts, or may be included in other devices designed to hold the skin surface electrodes. In other examples not shown, additionally or alternatively, the sensor device 32 may be configured to be worn on the user's lower limbs (for example, sock devices in socks, shoes, leg belts, luggage, etc.) or the body (for example, patches, wrapped objects on the body, etc.).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4, most or all of the user's finger may not be covered by the glove. The glove can include one or more skin surface electrodes that contact different first positions on the skin within the glove (in this example, circles are shown at the base of each finger, thumb, and wrist). FIG. 4 shows six skin surface electrodes (although any number and any position inside the glove are shown), and each skin surface electrode is designed for a different second position (shown as six different stars, where the dotted lines indicate connecting each electrode to the corresponding excitation position) and feels a given associated sensation at other positions (e.g., one or more of the second positions). The second position is shown by way of example only and depends on the first position at each skin surface electrode (e.g., each skin surface electrode has the same nerve passage). The glove includes at least one fixture that can fix the skin surface electrodes to the user's hand (e.g., a hook-and-loop fastener, a button, an elastic belt, etc.). Alternatively, the glove itself may provide a fixture (e.g., an elastic band that is pulled during wearing and adheres to the user's hand / wrist). In some cases, the skin surface electrodes are at predefined positions within the glove (e.g., a predefined electrode configuration can be created, and the position of each skin surface electrode corresponds to the desired position to experience the sensation via feedback). For different users with hands of different shapes and / or sizes, the glove can have different sizes (e.g., small, medium, and large). The skin surface electrodes can activate nerves and / or nerves in the palm to evoke an associated sensation at the corresponding second position. It can also be a tactile sensation such as contact force, pain, heat, etc.

[0044] Although each skin surface electrode of the sensor device 32 is not shown in FIG. 4 as the controller 14 and the signal generator 16, it can be configured to apply an electrical signal (also referred to as a stimulus, an electrical stimulus, or a stimulus signal) having one or more parameters consisting of the control unit and the signal generation unit shown in FIG. 1 to the nerve at or near the position of the skin surface electrode. As shown in the figure, the corresponding first position may be a position on the hand, palm, or wrist, but the first position may also be a position on the elbow or forearm. As shown in the illustration, the second position is a position on the fingertip, hand, or palm. As described above, the second position can experience feedback based on the operation generated and the intensity of the operation generated in the simulated remote environment in response to the stimulus at the first position.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows a connection example 50 between the XR device 12 and the controller 14. The XR device 12 may be connected to the computing system 52 in a bidirectional manner. The calculation system 52 may be at least partially embodied as part of the XR device 12, for example, as a non-transitory memory and / or a processor, or the calculation system 52 may be a single controller, including at least a non-transitory memory and / or its own processor. As shown in FIG. 5, the connection between the XR device 12 and the calculation system 52 may be wireless. However, the connection between the XR device 12 and the calculation system 52 may be a combination of wired and wireless. The connection between the calculation system 52 and the controller 14 is at least unidirectional (but may be bidirectional) and may be wired or wireless. The computing system 52 can participate in communication with additional components to provide haptic feedback in a remote operation system of the Internet. Note that the calculation system 52 may include one or more devices connectable to the XR device 12, the controller 14, and additional devices as needed. For example, the computing system 52 may be a smartphone, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a game system, a dedicated AR / VR device (when realized as part of the XR device 12), etc.

[0046] The calculation system 52 can facilitate the creation of a simulated remote environment for XR (e.g., AR or VR, etc.) and / or a real environment away from the user (e.g., controlling devices at a remote location to view and receive feedback). As an example, in a real environment away from the user, visual, audio, and tactile information from a remote environment can be transmitted and received via the computing system 52, and the computing system 52 can present visual (and any audio) to the XR device 12 via the controller 14 and present tactile information to the user. As another example, in a simulated remote environment, visual, audio, and tactile information (e.g., stored or transmitted game information) stored in the memory can be transmitted and received by the calculation system 52, and the calculation system 52 can present visual (and any audio) to the XR device 12 via the controller 14 and present tactile information to the user.

[0047] The examples of the possibilities of tactile information (e.g., tactile feedback) are countless. For example, in immersive head-mounted VR, a typical interaction between the hand and a simulated object in the virtual environment can be displayed on the XR device 12, and the user of the system 10 can feel the tactile sensation generated by the interaction as a feeling. Typical interactions can include, but are not limited to, grasping an object, feeling the sound waves emitted by a subwoofer, extruding a bag of snacks, crushing a powder, feeling the texture of a washboard, feeling the force detected by a robot's force sensor, searching for an object buried in sand, etc. Non-immersive VR has tactile sensations from a mobile device (phone, tablet computer, smartwatch), and the mobile device has hand-tracking capabilities using its on-board sensors (camera, laser, radar, time-of-flight or other range or 3D sensors). Tactile feedback can also represent an analog information stream such as a magnetic signal or chemical signal detected by a sensor or an information stream acquired by a sensor.

[0048] As an example of a real-world environment in which the system 10 (and connection 50) is used, computing system 52 facilitates the display of visual feedback and haptic feedback (in the form of relevant sensations), and this feedback is feedback from a real-world remote environment in which the user remotely controls the robot's avatar. The visual feedback can be displayed on the XR device 12 worn by the user, and the movement of the user's head or hand is captured, for example, by the XR device 12 (e.g., one or more sensors (accelerometers, IMUs, gyroscopes, etc.) and / or cameras), and / or by one or more sensors (accelerometers, IMUs, gyroscopes, etc.) of one or more sensor devices (not shown in FIG. 5 and communicating with the controller 14). The movement of the head or hand is transmitted to the robot avatar in the remote environment by software via the Internet or other public or private network, and the interaction between the robot avatar and the remote environment can be generated. The tactile and force interactions that occur between the robot avatar and the remote environment can be sensed by one or more sensors (e.g., force, accelerometers, IMUs, gyroscopes, joint torque sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, etc.) worn by the robot, and this tactile and force interaction can be received by software in the computing system 52 via the Internet or other public or private network, and the tactile and force interaction can be provided to the user as haptic feedback via the controller 14 using the above-described stimulation technology for relevant sensations. In short, the controller 14 can transmit an electrical signal to a signal generator, and the signal generator can transmit the electrical signal to one or more skin surface electrodes (not shown in FIG. 5), and the one or more skin surface electrodes can deliver the electrical signal to a nerve at or near the position of the one or more skin surface electrodes, and the user can feel the tactile and force interaction (or its safe simulation / approximate effect) generated in the remote environment at a position away from the one or more skin surface electrodes.As a feedback loop of the robotic hand, for example, there are "display" (e.g., sensation) of tactile information from a tactile sensor attached to the finger of the robotic hand, and simultaneous stimulation (via neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)) that "displays" (e.g., senses) force information from a joint torque sensor in an actuator embedded in the wrist of the robotic hand to the wrist extensor and wrist flexor muscles. The movement of the robotic hand can be controlled through the movement of the hand of the mirror-image human operator, and the movement of the human hand can be tracked by sensors on an immersive VR display worn by the human operator.

[0049] As an example, for a simulated remote environment, such as an AR or VR application, computing system 52 can connect the process of the AR or VR application (e.g., non-transitory memory using a processor) and / or the user of system 50 with other users in the same simulated remote environment. The user can utilize a controller 14 that can be connected to one or more sensors of XR device 12, which may include a physical game controller and / or motion sensing capabilities, and / or one or more sensor devices not shown in FIG. 5, to control at least a portion of the simulated remote environment. Essentially, when the user moves in real life, the virtualization of the user moves in a similar or predetermined manner within the simulated remote environment executed by computing system 52 and visualized by the display of XR device 12 (e.g., causing different specific movements of the user in the game, such as opening a menu within the application by flicking the wrist). Actions that affect the user within the simulated remote environment can be visually fed back to the user via computing system 52 and displayed on the display of the XR device, and this action can be tactilely fed back to the user via the game engine through controller 14. As detailed above, a controller, a signal generator (not shown in FIG. 5), and one or more skin surface electrodes can be utilized to generate a sense of engagement as tactile feedback at different locations. For example, the user can feel as if they are shaking hands by grasping the hand of another user in the simulated remote environment. In another example, the user can play a game using a ball (e.g., basketball, soccer, four-square, etc.) and feel as if they are grasping and releasing the ball. In another example, the user can drive a vehicle and feel the vibration of the steering wheel and the feedback of the force from the user's hand on the steering wheel.In another example, the user can also interact with a physical game controller, which is copied in the virtual world as itself or other items (e.g., a tap, a racket, a hypothesis, etc.). According to the system described in detail above, the user can feel the natural sense of these operations, for example, not only vibration or stimulation or the stimulation of a sharp stamp.

[0050] IV. Method Another aspect of the present invention can include a method for delivering surface electrical nerve stimulation to nerves in or near a first region (e.g., a first position 22) of the user's body to induce a second region (e.g., a second position 24) of the user's body to experience a natural sense as tactile feedback (e.g., a related sensation). The related sensation is because action potentials are perceived as sensory information by the transmission of action potentials from peripheral sensory nerves to the brain.

[0051] The method can utilize a system (shown in FIGS. 1 - 5) to deliver surface electrical nerve stimulation in a first region of the user to induce a second region of the user's body to experience a natural sense as tactile feedback (e.g., a related sensation). At least one step of the method can be executed by at least one component including at least one processor.

[0052] For simplicity of explanation, the method is shown as being executed in series, but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the shown order, and some steps may occur in a different order and / or occur simultaneously with other steps shown and described in the text. Also, this method can be implemented without all the illustrated aspects, and this method is not necessarily limited to the shown aspects.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 6, method 60 is used to deliver surface electrical nerve stimulation to a nerve in or near a first region (e.g., first location 22) of the user's body to induce a second region (e.g., second location 24) of the user's body to experience a natural sensation as tactile feedback. In step 62, the XR device (e.g., XR device 12) and / or the calculation system can receive (e.g., by controller 14, which can be a microcontroller) the actions and the intensity of the actions that occur in the simulated remote environment. In step 64, based on the actions and the intensity of the actions in the simulated remote environment or the real environment, one or more parameters for the electrical stimulation (e.g., providing a reflection of the nature, duration, location, and / or intensity of the actions) can be set (e.g., via controller 14). As an example, the parameters can include pulse width, frequency, amplitude, pulse shape, pulse interval, recharge phase width, recharge delay, and the like. In step 66, to configure the electrical stimulation, one or more parameters are transmitted to a signal generator (e.g., transmission signal generator 16) (e.g., by controller 14). The signal generator (e.g., signal generator 16) generates an electrical stimulation signal including the parameters and transmits the electrical stimulation signal to a skin surface electrode (e.g., one or more skin surface electrodes 18) to deliver the electrical stimulation signal to a nerve at or near a first location (e.g., first location 22) in the user's body, thereby inducing a second location (e.g., second location 24) in the user's body to experience a predetermined level of sensation corresponding to the actions and the intensity of the actions that occur in the simulated remote environment.

[0054] Note that the first position and the second position only need to be connected by one nerve (for example, a digital nerve). However, in some cases, they may be connected via a plurality of nerve structures. It is possible to transmit more electrical signals, whether the same or different or a combination thereof, than a plurality of skin surface electrodes, and to induce associated sensations at more second positions. Such a method targets the nerves connecting the brain to the area where sensory receptors are present (for example, the fingertip). When a stimulus is applied to a certain position (for example, the finger) to activate the nerve, the brain associates the nerve activity with the sensation occurring in one or more areas on the fingertip, and the sensation is connected even if the receptors in one or more areas on the fingertip are not activated by physical contact, force, or direct stimulation.

[0055] The operation can occur in a simulated remote environment or a real environment. As shown in method 70 of FIG. 7, at step 72, a simulated remote environment (for example, via XR device 12) can be displayed, and at step 74, information regarding the operation and the operation intensity can be transmitted to a controller (for example, controller 14). As described above, the XR device and the controller can communicate by at least one device (for example, computing system 52) participating in an XR application or a real application. The XR device can display a real environment that is realistic but physically remote from the user, and can transmit information regarding the actual operation and the intensity of the operation at a physically remote position to the controller. The actual operation may be based on commands or operations of the user via a robot or other device at a remote location.

[0056] V. Examples The following examples illustrate different uses of the systems and methods described herein. These examples are not intended to be limiting in any way and are only meant to show how the systems and methods operate in everyday life. Thus, in each of these examples, it has been shown that by transmitting an electrical stimulus to a nerve at a first position, at other positions along the nerve, instead of directly sensing the stimulus, a related sensation is sensually perceived. FIGS. 8-9 show examples of waveforms that can be used to deliver a related sensation. However, it goes without saying that waveforms with different wave shapes, symmetries, and areas (the waveforms are charge-balanced) can be used.

[0057] The waveforms shown in each of FIGS. 8-9 are charge-balanced two-phase (having phase A and phase B) such that the area (charge) in the waveform of phase A is equal to the area (charge) in the waveform of phase B. FIGS. 8 and 9 are an example of a charge-balanced waveform. As shown in FIG. 8, the waveform can be symmetric (phase A has the same shape as phase B), and as shown in FIG. 9, the waveform can be asymmetric (phase A has a different shape from phase B). The waveforms in FIGS. 8 and 9 each have a cathode-leading pulse (phase A) followed by an anode pulse (phase B). Also, the pulse frequency, pulse width (PW), pulse amplitude (PA), and / or pulse interval (IPI) can be changed by modulation (e.g., changing from square to triangular every other pulse) for shape variation.

[0058] The electrodes can be positioned to target specific nerves. For example, to avoid motor nerves where the dominant muscle might twitch, the electrodes can be placed behind the wrist. Such a position is the proximal phalanx of each finger. Since electrical stimulation generates action potentials in the digital nerves within the finger and the action potentials spread in the in-out direction, related distal sensations can be generated at the corresponding fingertips. The transmitted action potentials to the finger do not affect the sense of perception because the dendrites of the nerve can only receive signals (neurotransmitters) from mechanoreceptors in the skin and cannot activate the mechanoreceptors. The action potentials reach the spinal cord from the peripheral nerves and then reach the brain. The stimulated nerve is a sensory nerve (because there are no motor nerves at the position of the active electrode), and the stimulated nerve only carries sensory information from the mechanoreceptors. Therefore, when the brain receives action potentials from these nerves, the brain perceives the action potentials as sensory information from sensory receptors (e.g., as if the brain is imitating around the action potential source). As another example, by placing electrodes on the palm, since the nerves in the palm reach multiple fingers, sensations can be felt with multiple fingers. A common return electrode can be placed on the user's elbow, away from the electrodes, to increase the depth of stimulation, increase the probability of feeling a sense of distance, limit the sensation to only related positions, and / or avoid giving a sensation at the position where the return electrode is placed.

[0059] Video game An example of the system shown in FIGS. 1-5 is used for the purpose of a video game. For example, a user can wear or use an XR device (e.g., a head-mounted display and an optional physical game controller and / or sensor of the XR device) connected to a computing system (e.g., a gaming laptop running a base application, a mobile device, etc.) or a computing system (wired and / or wirelessly) via a calculation system. As an example, the communication can occur wirelessly between the XR device and the computing system (or controller), using different protocols and carrier frequencies, for example, via Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and / or 915 MHz wireless.

[0060] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the user can fix one or more skin surface electrodes to the user's skin and wear a partial glove device that can accommodate a controller and a signal generator for communicating with the XR device and / or the computing system. The sensor device may be in other forms such as, for example, an arm sleeve, an armband, socks, etc., and may also be used for transmitting related sensations to different parts of the body. When playing a video game, the sensor device receives information (such as the nature, duration, intensity, etc. of the action) that affects the user's actions in the game from the XR device and / or the computing system, and can convert these actions into tactile feedback at the fingertips or other parts of the hand and / or body. The sensor device stimulates one or more nerves having one or more electrical signals arranged based on the actions in the game using one or more skin surface electrodes at a first position. The stimulation is configured to induce a sense of involvement as tactile feedback at a second position of one or more nerves (for example, at the fingertips or other parts of the hand and / or body that are away from the first position but are connected by the same nerve). Importantly, the tactile feedback felt by the user is a relational natural feeling based on the stimulation at one or more first positions, and the stimulation is based on the actions and the intensity of the actions occurring in the video game. In this way, the user can make what is happening during the game (or, if it is painful for the user in real life, feel a safe simulation - approximation effect) more realistic. Also, the sensor device does not impede the user's freedom of movement and does not impede the interaction between the user and the real world in an AR game application.

[0061] Remote experience Remote experience is another example of the system described with reference to FIGS. 1-5, where nerves at a first position are stimulated via surface electrodes having a sensory stimulus and a sense of involvement is experienced at a second position. For example, a healthcare worker can perform a physical examination of a patient from a remote location by wearing some reusable gloves (as shown in FIG. 4, or other detection device 32). For example, the gloves can communicate with a robot at a remote location, which has sensors and acts on the patient, or the gloves can communicate with a second pair of gloves, which has one or more sensors (pressure, accelerometer, gyroscope, IMU, temperature, etc.) and is worn by the patient, who is instructed by the user to make diagnostic movements and is touched by the user (e.g., sensations such as heartbeat, breathing, temperature, nodules, lumps, etc.). Thus, the healthcare worker can interact with and diagnose the patient from a remote location. Different friends and couples can physically contact each other via some reusable gloves (as shown in FIG. 4, or other detection device 32), and the user of the gloves or other sensor device can experience a virtual hug or handshake. Another example of remote experience is an avatar of a remotely operated device (e.g., a drone, an airplane, a car, etc.) and / or a robot. In the gloves or other sensor device, the user can receive a natural feeling as tactile feedback corresponding to the movement of the machine and / or the robot avatar without interrupting the user's movement. For example, the user is allowed limited modifications to the movement of the machine and / or the robot avatar by the user and feels limited movements that affect the machine-robot avatar. In this example, the sensor device may be used to control the device / robot avatar via sensors (e.g., force sensors, pressure sensors, gyroscopes, IMUs, accelerometers, etc.) included in the gloves and / or attached to the user, or another control device may be used in combination with the gloves (e.g., a joystick, a keyboard, a steering wheel, etc.). Any feeling of insecurity or excessive pain for the user can be suppressed to the safe level of the natural feeling.

[0062] Feedback loop The feedback loop can be used in any of the examples described herein. Examples of the feedback loop include, for example, the display of tactile information from a tactile sensor attached to the tip of a robotic hand in order to display force information from a joint torque sensor in an actuator incorporated in the wrist of the robotic hand. The movement of the robotic hand is controlled to mirror the movement of a human operator's hand, and the movement of the human hand is tracked by sensors on an immersive VR display worn by the human operator. An example of a video game displays tactile information indicating vehicle vibrations transmitted through a steering wheel and represents the torque applied to the player by the steering wheel using force feedback from NMES.

[0063] VI. Experiment In this experiment, in a group of people without lost limbs, the ability to generate remote associative sensations aimed at inducing sensation at the fingertips by evaluating surface electrical stimulation was investigated. The experiment of the study examined the effects of electrode position, stimulation intensity, and stimulation polarity on the perceived sensory position. As a result, the finger-palm electrode combination shows the potential to induce the most distal associative sensation. The circumferential or anteroposterior position of the electrodes on the finger and palm also affects the sensory position of the remote relationship perception, but there is no tendency to agree among the participants. Stimulation intensity also has a statistically significant effect on the sensory position, and an increase in stimulation intensity results in an increase in the sensory field, a proximal shift of the perception center, and a more distal shift of the distal boundary of the perception. The sensation that the perceptual sensation is 71% is not related to polarity, and a large return electrode located at the elbow excludes the sensation located near the return electrode and reduces the sensation located on the palm.

[0064] Experiment 1: Identify the electrode combinations that cause the sensation of the distal-related index finger. Experiment 1 focuses on the effects of electrode distance, electrode position, and polarity on the associative sensation to the index finger.

[0065] Experiment 1: Method Participants and Research Access: Five healthy subjects (2 females, 3 males; age 28 ± 6 years (mean ± standard deviation)) participated in a single 3.5-hour experiment. All participants provided written informed consent to participate in these experiments, which were approved by the Health Sciences Institutional Review Board. The research was conducted in accordance with local laws and in accordance with the principles embodied in the Declaration of Helsinki.

[0066] Stimulation System and Parameters: These experiments used an investigational-level stimulator designed at Case Western Reserve University. The stimulator can generate currents between 1 mA and 100 mA with a resolution of 1 mA and can generate pulse widths between 0 μs and 255 μs with a resolution of 1 μs. The stimulator is controlled by a custom MATLAB Simulink model on a host to select stimulation parameters. Disposable self-adhesive Ag / AgCl electrodes with a diameter of 1.8 cm were connected to the stimulator. The stimulator generates cathodic-first, charge-balanced, current-controlled, symmetric output square waveforms. Stimulation was applied continuously for 5 seconds at 90 Hz to give a continuous sensation.

[0067] Recognition of possible electrode positions: At the start of each process, a TENS wipe is prepared for the participant's hand. The left hand and index finger of each participant are divided into 14 regions (see Figure 10) consisting of 8 regions (IA, PA, IP, PP, IL, PL, IM, and PM) on the index finger and 6 regions (PA1, PA2, PA3, and PP1, PP2, PP3) on the palm. These 14 regions are called "electrode positions" arranged near the branches of the digital nerves that innervate the median nerve of the middle of the index finger. Each of the 8 regions on the finger is located in the middle of each side of the finger or at the center of the proximal phalanx (inner, outer, posterior, and anterior). Since the distal phalanx is not evaluated as it is a sensory target position and cannot cause distal sensation. In Figure 10, there are 14 electrode positions in Experiment 1. The positions on the finger include the intermediate anterior (IA) and intermediate posterior (IP), proximal anterior (PA) and proximal posterior (PP), intermediate lateral (IL) and intermediate medial (IM), and proximal lateral (PL) and proximal medial (PM) on the surface of the bone. The positions of the posterior (PP) and anterior (PA) of the palm are distributed at 1 / 3 (PP1, PA1), 2 / 3 (PP2, PA2), and 3 / 3 (PP3, PA3) of the distance from the metacarpophalangeal joint to the horizontal plane of the ulnar styloid process.

[0068] The related sensation on the distal side is defined as the sensation located on the distal side of the most distal electrode position. Since the electrode position on the distal phalanx is located at the most distal part of the finger, it cannot cause such a type of sensation. For the finger region, by convention, it is a combination of the finger segment (intermediate or proximal phalanx) and the face (anterior, posterior, inner, or outer) of the segment. For example, the electrode position on the side of the proximal phalanx is the PL electrode position (see Figure 10). When the participant's hand is placed on a flat surface, 6 palm electrode positions are defined, and a guiding line is drawn on the back of the hand passing through the center of the finger. Along this guiding line, the distance to the horizontal line from the metacarpophalangeal joint to the ulnar styloid process is measured, and a point is placed at 1 / 3 of each distance (see Figure 10). The same procedure is repeated for the front side of the hand. In the convention of naming the palm electrode positions, the first letter of the palm is always P, the second letter represents the side (front or back) of the palm, and the number is the distance from the finger in units of 1 / 3. To ensure that the electrode positions match in the study, skin safety markers are used to mark each of these positions on the participant's hand. In this way, anatomical flags are used to ensure reproducibility among participants regardless of hand size. Since each electrode position can have two polarities (activation and return), a total of 182 (14×13) electrode position combinations (hereinafter referred to as electrode combinations) were evaluated.

[0069] Evaluation of electrode combinations: First, find the maximum comfort limit for each participant. To ensure that the maximum comfort limit of each participant is less than 255 μs (the maximum pulse width of the stimulator), the pulse amplitude was set higher than the 3 mA amplitude (15 mA) reported in the literature to obtain an induced sensation. Since each participant needs to control the pulse width using the wheel of a computer mouse, they can be prevented from being exposed to an uncomfortable pulse width. Then, after increasing the pulse width until discomfort is felt to find the discomfort threshold, immediately decrease the pulse width to find the highest pulse width at which no discomfort occurs. Stimulate for 5 seconds at a time to avoid possible desensitization. If necessary, add an additional 5-second stimulation sequence to ensure that the participant has enough time to adjust the pulse width and judge the sensation. To minimize variation regarding reapplication of the electrodes, the electrode combinations were evaluated for two polarities without moving the electrodes. Also, one of the electrode positions was kept constant while the other was repositioned to 13 other electrode positions. This was repeated 14 times in total, covering all 182 different electrode combinations. Throughout the process, the electrodes were replaced as needed to ensure sufficient adhesion between the electrodes and the skin.

[0070] Three questions for the stimulation inquiry participants: 1) Did you feel away from the electrode position? 2) Did you feel comfortable (yes or no)? 3) Did you feel muscle contraction resulting from the stimulation (yes or no)? Before starting the experiment, the researcher explained the instructions to the participants, and the participants could ask questions to improve their understanding. Only the electrode combinations where the answers to both Question 1 and Question 2 of the participants are "yes" and the answer to Question 3 is "no" are classified as "useful" sensations and prepared for further analysis.

[0071] Statistical analysis: To compare different electrode positions and combinations, the data among all 5 participants are averaged. When comparing different polarity conditions, the data among the participants are averaged to evaluate different electrode combinations, and the data among the electrode combinations are averaged to evaluate the differences among the participants. The normal state of the polarity data is evaluated using the bit-by-bit (Q-Q) map and histogram, but it does not conform to the normal distribution. Therefore, whether there is a significant difference between the polarity conditions is examined using a non-parametric test (Kuss-Wries rank and test). In the case of Bonferroni adjustment, multiple comparisons are performed using the Dunnett test and post hoc pairwise comparisons are made.

[0072] Experiment 1: Results By aggregating data between participants and tests, it is determined how electrode position affects the frequency of useful sensory reports. As shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 11(a) shows the total number of useful tests for each electrode position and the standard deviation for the average percentage of useful tests for each electrode position relative to the total number of tests (n = 130 for each electrode position) in which a particular electrode was used among all participants, and FIG. 11(b) shows the average percentage of useful tests and the standard deviation for each electrode combination relative to all tests (n = 280 finger - finger, n = 480 finger - palm, n = 150 palm - palm). In this test, electrodes were positioned at positions described in combination among all participants (e.g., finger and palm), and the anterior electrode positions for the most useful classification are arranged in descending order (most frequently used), in order, PA1, IL, IA, PL, IM, IP, and PA (see FIG. 11(a)). The electrode positions least associated with the useful classification are, in ascending order (from lowest useful frequency to highest useful frequency), PA3, PP3, PP, PP2, PA2, PM, PP1. The least useful electrode positions are the proximal palm electrode positions (5 / 7). Looking at combinations of different types of electrodes, 68% (n = 480) of the tests with a finger - palm electrode combination (one electrode position is on the palm and one electrode position is on the finger) are useful (see FIG. 11(b)). Conversely, only 23% (n = 150) of the palm - palm electrode combination tests are useful. The top 3 electrode positions on the palm are PA1, PP1, PA2, and the top 3 finger electrode positions are IL, IA, PL. Based on these results, the finger - palm combination having a proximal palm electrode and a finger can elicit a distal related sensation. The finger - palm combinations using the top 3 finger electrodes and palm electrodes are the following (all n = 10): IAPA1 (100% useful), IL - PA1 (100% useful), PL - PA1 (90% useful), IA - PP1 (90% useful), IL - PP1 (100% useful), PL - PP1 (90% useful), IA - PA2 (90% useful), IL - PA2 (100% useful), PL - PA2 (70% useful). Also, the positions of both the active electrode and the return electrode can affect the presence of a distal related sensation.

[0073] For a given electrode combination, there are two possible arrangements depending on the relative positions of the activation electrode and the return electrode. For example, a given finger-palm electrode can have an activation electrode positioned on the palm, and the return electrode can be positioned on the finger. Vice versa. The difference in their arrangements is the polarity. In FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), FIG. 12(a) shows the average for each participant (n = 280 finger-finger, n = 480 finger-palm, n = 150 palm-palm) averaged across participants, and FIG. 12(b) shows the polarity-related average percentage and standard deviation for each participant (n = 182) averaged across electrode combinations, for the polarity-related average percentage and standard deviation for each electrode combination for the total useful tests. The legend specifies the polarity arrangement and relative positions of the electrodes. The third one (orange) shows the case where the distances between the two electrodes and the wrist are equal, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0074] On average, 71% (n = 910) of the sensory sensations reported by participants were polarity-independent (PI) across all electrode combinations (see Figure 12(a)). There was a significant difference between different polarity conditions (Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test, p < 0.001). Post hoc analysis showed a statistical significant difference between the PI test and the polarity-related conditions (Dunn's (1964) Kruskal-Wallis multiple comparison: pI vs. distal cathode, p < 0.001; PI vs. proximal cathode, p = 0.029; PI vs. same phalanx, p < 0.001). For the tests regarding polarity, no clear pattern was seen for the electrode combinations of finger-finger and finger-palm. However, for the palm-palm electrode combination, more useful sensory tests were reported when the activated electrode was at the most distal electrode position (i.e., when the cathodic leading pulse was supplied to the most distal electrode). There was no significant difference between the polarity-related conditions (Kruskal-Wallis multiple comparison: cathode on the distal side vs. cathode on the proximal side, p = 0.90; cathode on the distal side vs. same phalanx, p = 1.00; cathode on the proximal side vs. same phalanx, p = 0.74). Looking at the similarity of participants, except for Participant 3, many participants showed very little polarity-relatedness (see Figure 12(b)). When looking at the polarity-relatedness within participants, more useful tests regarding these polarities occurred when the leading pulse at the most distal electrode position was a cathode.

[0075] Experiment 2: Influence of Stimulation Parameters and Electrode Position on Distal Associated Sensation In Experiment 2, more precisely, a subset of electrode positions that most frequently elicited useful distal associated sensations (based on the results of Experiment 1) in more participants was checked. The goal of Experiment 2 was to show how the position of the distal associated sensation in the index finger changed when the stimulation intensity varied between the sensory threshold and the maximum comfort limit.

[0076] Experiment 2: Methods Participants and study access: Twelve participants were recruited, but one participant did not complete the study. The remaining 11 participants (3 females, 8 males; age 30 ± 14 years) participated in the 3-hour experiment once and then conducted the 2.5-hour experiment twice. All participants provided written informed consent to participate in these experiments, and all these experiments obtained approval from the Health System Institutional Review Board. The study was conducted in accordance with the requirements of local law following the principles embodied in the Declaration of Helsinki. The sensory positions were evaluated for nine electrode combinations. Selection of nine electrode combinations: During the experimental period, two participants reported perceiving sensations located near the electrode positions on the palm during multiple test periods. Since these sensations are outside the index finger area, the participants were instructed to classify all tests with sensations on the palm as invalid. A similar situation in combination with the palm electrodes may affect the useful rate. Assuming the size of the return electrode, the distance between electrodes, and the distance from the underlying nerve, the stimulation threshold at the return electrode can be selectively increased, so one of the top three ranked return electrodes was replaced with a 5-cm electrode placed at the eagle process (elbow electrode). The nine electrode combinations in Experiment 2 consist of all possible combinations between three finger positions (IA, IL, PL) and three non-finger positions (PA1, PP1, elbow). The electrode positions are selected based on replacing PA2 with the elbow electrode (see Figure 11) and the three most useful finger electrodes and the three most useful palm electrodes.

[0077] Nine electrode combinations: IAPA1, IL-PA1, PL-PA1, IA-PP1, IL-PP1, PL-PP1, IA-elbow, IL-elbow, PL-elbow were evaluated. For each combination, only the activating electrode, which is the most distal electrode position, was examined. This polarity was selected because Figure 12 shows that there is little polarity relevance in most tests in Experiment 1, and when there is a correlation with polarity, it has been reported that it is useful when the distal electrode is the active electrode.

[0078] Experimental preparation: The electrode positions were made to match those in Experiment 1, and to ensure repeatability in the process, the electrode positions were identified and marked using the same procedure as described in "Experiment 1: Method".

[0079] Parameter search: Evaluate the sensation position at two different pulse widths, perception thresholds, and maximum comfort limits. The pulse widths corresponding to the perception threshold and the maximum comfort limit are recorded at five different pulse widths (2, 3, 7, 15, 30 mA).

[0080] To determine the perception threshold, use parameter estimation by the sequential testing (PEST) method to reduce the variability of the participants' responses. The PEST method starts with sub-threshold stimuli, increases the pulse width in fixed steps in the rising step to report the sensation, and then decreases the pulse width in the falling step until the sensation disappears. This is repeated until it is reversed 5 times. For each reversal, the steps were decreased until reaching a 1 μs step (the minimum pulse width step of the stimulator). The pulse width steps for each reversal are 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 μs.

[0081] The maximum comfort limit is defined as the maximum pulse width before the sensation becomes uncomfortable, where discomfort is defined as mild pain or body discomfort. Also, instruct the participants not to confuse discomfort with a sense of unease or unnaturalness. This is because this experiment is not intended to evaluate the quality or naturalness of the sensation. Also, instruct the participants not to confuse the intensity with the degree of discomfort. This is because some sensations may be strong but still comfortable, while some other sensations may be very weak but may cause discomfort. To find this threshold, the participants increase the pulse width in 1 μs increments using the mouse wheel until they feel discomfort. Then, the participants immediately decrease the pulse width until they feel comfortable again. During this process, without reversing, suppress the participants from feeling discomfort again.

[0082] Perceived position evaluation: For each of the five pulse amplitudes, after identifying the stimulus pulse widths related to the perception threshold and the maximum comfort limit, the pulse amplitude value with the highest dynamic range (PWmax - PWperception) is selected and further evaluated. During the exploratory test period in Experiment 1, since threshold changes were observed over a short period, the perception threshold and the maximum comfort limit were re-evaluated at this selected pulse width before further experiments. The perception threshold and the maximum comfort limit were evaluated by a psychometric intensity test (PIT) respectively (see Figure 13(b) as an example). In each test, the user reports the position of the sensation by coloring up to five different colors on one hand contour diagram to report up to five different sensation intensities.

[0083] To analyze the sensation positions reported by the participants, the center and boundaries of the sensation positions are calculated. Due to the discontinuity of the x-axis between the fingers and the complex three-dimensionality of the fingers, the 2D indicators of the center and boundaries are not suitable for evaluating the sensation model on the x-axis plotted in the PIT table. Therefore, the y-axis mode was numerically evaluated and the x-axis mode was visually evaluated. To analyze the pattern on the y-axis, the center of the proximal phalanx, which is the nearest proximal effective electrode position, is referred to, and the y-axis distances of each color pixel are averaged to calculate the vertical center. The proximal and distal boundaries are the most distal and proximal sensation positions of each test. These y-axis distances are calculated in the same way as the vertical center. To organize the numerical values among different participants, the vertical center, proximal boundary, and distal boundary are averaged among all participants.

[0084] To evaluate the pattern of the perceived sensation along the x-axis, the PIT tables from different participants are superimposed with the same electrode combinations of other participants. Regardless of the reported intensity, there may be misleading overlaps for all perceptions. This is because there may be a possibility of reporting a sensation at the desired position, but its intensity may be very weak, and the strongest sensation may appear in the proximal region of the finger, the palm of the hand, or other fingers. The two superimposed outputs are output to show all the reported sensations, and for each test period, only the participant reports the sensation that they feel the strongest.

[0085] Statistical analysis: To analyze the influence of the stimulus intensity on the sensory position, various indices for evaluating the sensory position (center, most distal sensation, most proximal sensation, envelope size) were averaged across all participants and electrode combinations. The normal state of the Q-Q plot and histogram evaluation data was used, but the data did not conform to a normal distribution. Therefore, the non-parametric two-point discrimination method (Wilcoxon signed-rank test) was used to evaluate whether the stimulus intensity affects different indices. To evaluate whether different electrode combinations affect the sensory position index at different stimulus intensities, a non-parametric parametric repeated measures test (Friedman test) was used.

[0086] Experiment 2: Results Sensory position center and envelope: Figure 13 shows an exemplary PIT chart of Participant 4 reported for the IA-elbow electrode combination, with the perceived intensity in different regions represented in different colors. Figure 13(a) shows the sensory position of the perception threshold, and Figure 13(b) shows the maximum comfort limit when the active electrode is on the IA and the return electrode returns to the elbow. Purple indicates the strongest perception, and pink indicates the next strongest perception. On average, the participants reported two different intensities, and the maximum number of intensities reported in each test was 3. At the maximum comfort limit, as shown by the difference between (a) and (b) in Figure 13, the perceived sensory field changes. This indicates that the change in the stimulus pulse width can cause a change in the sensory position, and the sensory field can be expanded and moved in the distal-proximal direction by a larger stimulus intensity.

[0087] Three metrics are calculated to describe the spatial extent of the sensed sensing location. All metrics are with respect to the long axis (or y-axis) of the finger. For each trial, the sensing center is the average y-axis position, the distal boundary is the most distal y-axis position, and the proximal boundary is the proximal y-axis position (see Figure 15(a)). As the stimulus intensity increases from the sensing threshold to the maximum comfort limit, the distance between the proximal and dorsal boundaries (referred to as the envelope) increases (see Figure 15(a)). This occurs for all electrode combinations in addition to the PL-PA1 electrode combination, with the increase in the perceived size with the increase in stimulus intensity. Also, four out of the nine electrode combinations for Participant 4 exhibit distal-related sensations defined as the sensory segment being positioned at least on one phalanx away from the activated electrode in the distal direction. These distal-related sensations are all located at the fingertip and are between the 1.5th and 2.7th phalanges away from the activated electrode. Figures 15(a) and (c) show the vertical position of the perceived center (circle), distal boundary (downward triangle), and proximal boundary (upward triangle) in terms of phalanges from the psychometric intensity test (PIT) table. The left color (blue) indicates the perception reported at the sensing threshold pulse width, and the right color (red) indicates the perception reported at the maximum comfort limit. The orange horizontal line indicates the position of the activated electrode for each electrode group. Figure 15(a) shows the results for Participant 4, Figure 15(b) shows the index finger of the PIT table with the IL, IA, PL electrode positions displayed with respect to the orange line by dragging and dropping onto the axes of Figures 15(a) and 15(c), and Figure 15(c) plots the standard deviation with error bars for the average center and boundaries among participants (for each electrode combination and stimulus intensity n = 11).

[0088] Among all participants, as the stimulation intensity increased, for all nine electrode combinations, the center shifted more prominently towards the proximal side (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p = 0.028), the distal boundary shifted significantly further to the distal position (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.001), and the envelope (perceived) size increased significantly (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.001) (see Figure 14). Also, the combination of elbow electrodes used for the return electrodes has a more proximal anterior boundary at the maximum comfort limit. However, the mean center (Friedman test, p = 0.09 for the perception threshold and p = 0.71 for the maximum comfort limit), distal boundary (Friedman test, p = 0.05 for the perception threshold and p = 0.09 for the maximum comfort limit), and proximal boundary (Friedman test, p = 0.09 for the perception threshold and p = 0.26 for the maximum comfort limit) are not statistically different among the nine electrode combinations.

[0089] Figure 14 shows the effect of stimulation intensity between all electrodes and participants. The left table shows the perception of the perception threshold pulse width report, and the right table shows the perception of the maximum comfort limit report. The x-axis shows different indicators to compare the effect of stimulation intensity on the sensory position. The farthest side is the distance from the center of the proximal phalanx of the index finger at the farthest side of each sensation. The envelope size is the vertical distance between the farthest and the nearest sides of each sensation. The vertical center from the center of the proximal phalanx of the index finger is also measured. The y-axis measures the bone as a normalized distance using the finger. This point is the average value of all electrode combinations and participants, and the error bars indicate the standard deviation (n = 99 for the stimulation intensity of each indicator). Statistical significance is calculated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The data separated by electrode combinations are shown in Figure 15(c).

[0090] Evaluated sensory map: Figure 16 superimposes the sensed positions plotted on the PIT table at the maximum comfort limit among participants. The red regions (7 and 8 on the scale) indicate high-frequency reports. The detected positions are displayed without distinguishing the detection intensity levels reported in the test. The sensations reported between the participant and all electrode combinations are concentrated on the index finger (the color of the index finger is brighter than that of the palm and other fingers (e.g., 3 - 6 on the scale)). Among the nine combinations, only three sensations are reported by fingers other than the index finger, and these other fingers (thumb and middle finger) are adjacent to the index finger on the body. The electrode combination with PA1 and PP1 return electrodes also tends to produce sensations spreading in the area in front of the palm. Conversely, for the electrode combination with the elbow return electrode, few participants sense the palm. These results are consistent with the differences seen between the proximal boundaries of the vertical envelopes based on the electrode arrangement shown in Fig. 15(c). For each electrode combination, sensations outside the index finger region are reported by only one or two participants. 37% (n = 99) of all tests have sensations at locations other than the targeted finger. The electrode combinations including the IA activation electrode generate sensed positions that are distributed almost uniformly along all three phalanges of the index finger.

[0091] Figure 17 superimposes the sensed positions reported only for the strongest sensation reported in each test between the test and the participant. Only the data from the maximum comfort limit test are shown. Most of the sensations reported between all electrode combinations are concentrated on the index finger. Compared with Fig. 15(c), the strongest sensation reported for each test is only the targeted finger. More importantly, all electrode combinations cause distal sensations at the fingertip of the index finger at the strongest stimulus level for each test.

[0092] FIG. 18 shows which electrode combinations generated distal-related sensations to each participant at the sensory threshold, maximum comfort limit, or both. At least one of the electrode combinations succeeded in generating distal-related sensations for all participants at the sensory threshold and maximum comfort limit (see FIG. 18). Also, distal-related sensations were reported in most test combinations (combination with an average value = 7.4, combination with a minimum value = 2, combination with a maximum value = 9). Also, for the IL-PA1 electrode combination, at least one of the evaluated pulse widths generates distal-related sensations to all participants. Comparing the active electrode and the return electrode, only the position of the PL electrode is reported as having fewer distal-related sensations than the positions of the other active electrodes. Comparing the combinations of participants and electrodes, 18% of the tests did not include distal-related sensations, 4% of the tests induced distal-related sensations only at the sensory threshold, 25% of the tests induced distal-related sensations only at the maximum comfort limit, and 53% of the tests induced distal-related sensations at two stimulus levels (n = 99). Therefore, compared to the sensory threshold, reports of distal-related sensations at the maximum comfort limit are more common, but reports of distal-related sensations at two levels are the main responses so far.

[0093] From the above description, those skilled in the art will recognize improvements, changes, and adjustments. Such improvements, changes, and adjustments are within the technical scope of those skilled in the art and are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: a controller configured to set parameters for an electrical stimulation based on an action generated in a simulated remote environment and an intensity of the action generated in the simulated remote environment; a signal generator coupled to the controller and configured to generate the electrical stimulation including the parameters; a skin surface electrode coupled to the signal generator and configured to be disposed at a first position on the user's body spaced apart from a second position on the user's body; The system is characterized in that by applying the electrical stimulation with the parameters to a nerve at or near the first position on the user's body, the second position on the user's body is induced to experience a predetermined level of natural sensation corresponding to the action generated in the simulated remote environment and the intensity of the action generated in the simulated remote environment.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of skin surface electrodes respectively coupled to the signal generator, the plurality of skin surface electrodes being configured to be disposed at a plurality of first positions on the user's body spaced apart from a plurality of second positions on the user's body.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to identify one or more of the plurality of skin surface electrodes that are destinations of the electrical stimulation from the signal generator.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a cross-reality (XR) device, the XR device being configured to display visual information related to the simulated remote environment when worn by a user and transmit the intensity of the action to the controller.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the XR device is a head-mounted XR device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the skin surface electrode positioned at the first position on the user's body is configured to apply the electrical stimulation to a nerve related to the sensation at the second position.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the second position includes an area affected by the action in the simulated remote environment.

8. The skin surface electrode is a part of a glove that does not block the second position on the user's body, and the first position on the user's body is a position on the wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined level of natural feeling is sensory feedback by the electrical stimulation.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the parameters are two or more of current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the controller is further configured to change the parameters when the operation or the intensity of the operation changes.

12. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first position on the user's body is located near at least one sensory nerve fiber, and the nerve includes at least one sensory nerve fiber.

13. A device configured to cover at least a part of the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand, Comprising a skin surface electrode and a fixing device, The skin surface electrode is configured to induce the user to experience feedback according to the operation and the intensity of the operation generated in a simulated remote environment where the second position at the user's fingertip is simulated by applying an electrical stimulation with parameters to a nerve at or near the first position on the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand. The skin surface electrode is coupled to a signal generator that defines the electrical stimulation with the parameters, and the signal generator is coupled to a controller that defines the parameters. The device, characterized in that the fixing device is configured to fix the surface electrode to the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand.

14. The device according to claim 13, characterized in that the device is reusable.

15. The device according to claim 13, further comprising a plurality of skin surface electrodes arranged in a predefined electrode configuration at a plurality of first positions on the user's wrist, palm, elbow, forearm, and / or hand, and each of the plurality of first positions is identified to induce feedback at one of a plurality of second positions at the user's fingertip when the electrical stimulation is applied.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein the device is a glove for achieving the purpose of cross-reality without interfering with the interaction between the user and the actual object.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein the parameters are two or more of current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency.

18. A method comprising: a step in which a controller receives an operation generated in a simulated remote environment and the intensity of the operation; a step in which the controller sets parameters for an electrical stimulation based on the operation and the intensity of the operation; a step in which the controller transmits the parameters for the electrical stimulation to a signal generator, wherein the signal generator generates the electrical stimulation signal having the parameters and transmits the electrical stimulation signal to a skin surface electrode, thereby delivering the electrical stimulation signal to a nerve at or near a first position on the user's body, whereby a second position on the user's body is induced to experience a predetermined level of sensation corresponding to the operation and the intensity of the operation generated in the simulated remote environment.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step in which a cross-reality (XR) device displays the simulated remote environment, and a step in which the XR device transmits the operation and the intensity of the operation to the controller.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the parameters are two or more of current amplitude, pulse width, and frequency.

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