Precise tactile localization on tools in two dimensions
Matthew R. Longo, Rachel Forde, Jonathan Joel, Luke E. Miller, Alessandro Farnè · 2026
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Description
Matthew R. Longo and co-authors present a 2026 psychology study showing that people can pinpoint touches delivered to a tool they are holding, in two dimensions rather than just along a rod's length. The finding extends the familiar fact that a blind person's cane seems to feel at its tip.
Participants held a square wooden board in the left hand while one of thirty-six spots on it was tapped, then marked where they felt the touch. Judged maps matched the true layout far better than chance along both axes of the board. Accuracy was sharper side-to-side than near-to-far, mirroring an anisotropy known from skin itself, and the pattern was organized around the hand. The authors argue that wielded objects are absorbed into the body's own touch system.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Matthew R. Longo, Rachel Forde, Jonathan Joel, Luke E. Miller, Alessandro Farnè |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 23 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |