Open-Source Hardware and Software Platform for Vibrotactile Motion Guidance
Vibrotactile feedback can enhance motor learning, sports training, and rehabilitation, but a lack of standardized tools limits its adoption. We developed a modular open-source hardware and software platform for delivering vibrotactile feedback that is spatially and temporally precise. The prototype device uses medical adhesive, linear resonant actuators (LRAs), and rigid 3D-printed components to standardize skin contact, avoiding the variability introduced by straps. The platform was validated by using the device's built-in accelerometers to fit a dynamic model of mechanical actuator vibration and examine how the anatomical site and body composition affect perceived vibration strength in 20 participants. Then, the platform was integrated with an optical motion-capture system to teach six participants a toe-in gait, showing potential for real-time, tailored clinical studies. By openly sharing the platform's hardware and software, we provide tools for delivering standardized vibrations and benchmarking feedback strategies in diverse applications.
| Author(s): | Nataliya Rokhmanova and Julian Martus and Robert Faulkner and Jonathan Fiene and Katherine J. Kuchenbecker |
| Journal: | Device |
| Volume: | 4 |
| Number (issue): | 1 |
| Pages: | 100966 |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Month: | January |
| Project(s): | |
| BibTeX Type: | Article (article) |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.device.2025.100966 |
| State: | Published |
BibTeX
@article{Rokhmanova26-D-Platform,
title = {Open-Source Hardware and Software Platform for Vibrotactile Motion Guidance},
journal = {Device},
abstract = {Vibrotactile feedback can enhance motor learning, sports training, and rehabilitation, but a lack of standardized tools limits its adoption. We developed a modular open-source hardware and software platform for delivering vibrotactile feedback that is spatially and temporally precise. The prototype device uses medical adhesive, linear resonant actuators (LRAs), and rigid 3D-printed components to standardize skin contact, avoiding the variability introduced by straps. The platform was validated by using the device's built-in accelerometers to fit a dynamic model of mechanical actuator vibration and examine how the anatomical site and body composition affect perceived vibration strength in 20 participants. Then, the platform was integrated with an optical motion-capture system to teach six participants a toe-in gait, showing potential for real-time, tailored clinical studies. By openly sharing the platform's hardware and software, we provide tools for delivering standardized vibrations and benchmarking feedback strategies in diverse applications.},
volume = {4},
number = {1},
pages = {100966},
month = jan,
year = {2026},
author = {Rokhmanova, Nataliya and Martus, Julian and Faulkner, Robert and Fiene, Jonathan and Kuchenbecker, Katherine J.},
doi = {10.1016/j.device.2025.100966},
month_numeric = {1}
}