Abstract: Tactile sensation is one of the important ways for human to interact with the external environment. People can perceive and recognize objects through the various tactile receptors densely distributed in the skin of the fingertips, which respond differently to vibrations and stretching. In the process of tactile perception, measuring the stress and strain of human skin is challenging. Therefore, establishing a numerical model of the finger to explore the stress and strain of the skin during contact friction is an effective means to study tactile perception. Studying the mechanical response of skin and receptors in tactile perception can help develop simulated skin, improve the comfort of skin-touching products, expand the application of tactile technology and improve the sensitivity of tactile sensors. A finite element model of the fingertip is established for the contact process between the fingertip and the surface of the object. The stress and strain of the fingertip skin in the process of static contact and sliding friction and their effect on the skin tactile receptors are analyzed. Research indicates that in the process of static friction, the sample texture results in an increase in stress concentration points in the dermis of the fingers. In the prcess of sliding friction, the position of the maximum stress on the fingers shifts inward along the direction of sliding, and fluctuates with the deformation of the fingertips. Additionally, sliding speed can affect the stress change of the tactile receptors; when the fingers slide at high speeds, both the stress amplitude and the stimulation response frequency are higher than when sliding at low speeds.

Key words: tactile perception, finger model, finite element simulation, skin friction