E-Tactile Flow: Exploring A Novel Path of Pain Relief through Interactive Electrotactile StimulationShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings / [ed] Oliver N., Shamma D.A., Candello H., Cesar P., Lopes P., Artizzu V., Draxler F., Lopez G., Reinschluessel A.V., Tong X., Toups Dugas P.O., Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2026, article id 246Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Numerous individuals grapple with chronic or recurrent pain, prompting the exploration for non-pharmacological remedies in human-computer interaction. Redirecting attention from nociceptive signals can effectively alleviate pain, but the path through fine tactile perception is rarely explored. This paper introduce Electronic Tactile Flow, a novel interaction paradigm utilizing an 8*8 electrotactile array to modulate pain through cognitive engagement and Flow theory. We investigated the analgesic effects of top-down (goal-directed) versus bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention. Results from our user study (N=42) indicate that top-down engagement significantly reduces pain perception compared to passive stimulation. Furthermore, we implemented an adaptive difficulty mechanism that sustains users in an optimal Flow state, which was found to amplify pain relief and immersion. This work presents the first integration of electrotactile interfaces with attentional modulation, offering a promising framework for designing personalized, cognitively interactive pain interventions in HCI.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2026. article id 246
Keywords [en]
Attention Mechanisms, Electrotactile Stimulation, Flow Experience, Human-Computer Interaction, Pain Relief
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:bth-29519DOI: 10.1145/3772363.3798723Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105038099224ISBN: 9798400722813 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:bth-29519DiVA, id: diva2:2061820
Conference
Extended Abtracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2026, Barcelona, April 13-17, 2026
2026-05-222026-05-222026-05-22Bibliographically approved