  Wearable devices that relocate tactile feedback from fingertips can enable
users to interact with their physical world augmented by virtual effects. While
studies have shown that relocating same-modality tactile stimuli can influence
the one perceived at the fingertip, the interaction of cross-modal tactile
stimuli remains unclear. Here, we investigate how thermal cues applied on the
index finger's proximal phalanx affect vibrotactile sensitivity at the
fingertip of the same finger when employed at varying contact pressures. We
designed a novel wearable device that can deliver thermal stimuli at adjustable
contact pressures on the proximal phalanx. Utilizing this device, we measured
the detection thresholds of fifteen participants for 250 Hz sinusoidal
vibration applied on the fingertip while concurrently applying constant cold
and warm stimuli at high and low contact pressures to the proximal phalanx. Our
results revealed no significant differences in detection thresholds across
conditions. These preliminary findings suggest that applying constant thermal
stimuli to other skin locations does not affect fingertip vibrotactile
sensitivity, possibly due to perceptual adaptation. However, the influence of
dynamic multisensory tactile stimuli remains an open question for future
research.
