Measure or Not: Measured Skin Temperature vs Pre-Set Neutral Temperature for Thermal Feedback

When presenting thermal stimuli, researchers typically adopt a pre-set neutral temperature as a baseline temperature, and make the temperature fluctuate upon it. This paper investigates the difference between using the measured skin temperature and a pre-set neutral temperature during a user study, exploring recognition rates and subjective ratings. Results suggest that a pre-set neutral temperature is sufficient for effective use of thermal cues, but adjusting to skin temperature could increase comfort.