The iMEK Vibrotactile Actuator Characterization Database: Dataset Description and Metadata

The dataset consolidates the standardized characterization of 26 commercial vibrotactile actuators, 22 linear resonant actuators (LRA) and 4 eccentric rotating mass actuators (ERM), obtained on an automated test stand under idle (unloaded) and blocked conditions. For every actuator, the database contains the summary frequency response of acceleration, velocity, displacement, force and mechanical power, the electrical impedance magnitude over frequency, and, for the LRAs, complete stepped frequency sweeps at six drive voltages together with derived drift and bandwidth figures; ERMs carry signal-to-noise sweeps over drive voltage. The note documents the relational schema of all nine tables column by column with units, states known limitations of the current data release, and describes the three access routes: the SQL snapshot published here, a MATLAB interface, and a public web frontend. The dataset is intended as the citable data backbone for a series of publications describing the measurement methodology, the key performance indicators, and the application of the database in haptic research.

A graphical supported access to the data can be found here: https://ligeti.ha.tuhh.de/actuators/?view=overview

Snapshot 2026-08-24. Version 1.0. License: CC BY 4.0 (see LICENSE.txt).

Standardized idle/blocked characterization of 26 commercial vibrotactile actuators (22 LRA, 4 ERM): frequency responses of acceleration, velocity, displacement, force and mechanical power; electrical impedance magnitude; per-voltage sweeps (LRA, 6 drive voltages x 69 frequency points); SNR sweeps (ERM); derived KPIs; photographs. Measurement methodology and KPI mathematics are documented in the accompanying Technical Notes (N1: measurement concept, N2: KPI derivation) and the dataset description note (this deposit's PDF).


PACKAGE CONTENTS

actuator_quantification_snapshot_2026-08-24.sql
Complete MySQL dump (schema + data), the citable primary object.
csv.zip / Actuator.csv
Catalogue: 26 rows, one per actuator (model, manufacturer, class, volume, mass, rated voltage, peak values with resonance frequencies, KPIs, provenance columns).
csv.zip / Measurement_ALL.csv
Summary frequency responses: 1842 rows (69 points per LRA at 23-490 Hz; 80-84 points per ERM at approx. 8-35 Hz).
csv.zip / PW_Bode_Amplitude_ALL.csv
Electrical impedance magnitude (Ohm): 1842 rows, row-aligned with Measurement_ALL via id.
csv.zip / PW_Measurement_LRA.csv
Per-voltage sweeps, LRA only: 9108 rows (1.0/1.4/1.8/2.2/2.6/3.0 V).
csv.zip / PW_Table.csv
Drift and bandwidth per LRA and voltage: 132 rows (LDD, CDD, resonance bandwidth).
csv.zip / PW_SNR_ERM.csv
SNR vs. drive voltage, ERM only: 324 rows.
csv.zip / Pictures_index.csv
Index of the photograph files (actuator_id to file).
pictures.zip
16 photographs (actXX_picYY.png), extracted from the database blobs.

Units and column-by-column semantics: see the dataset description Technical Note (deposited PDF). In short: frequencies in Hz, voltages in V, acceleration in g, velocity in m/s, displacement in m, force in N, mechanical power in W, impedance in Ohm, SNR in dB, volume in cm3, mass in g.


KNOWN LIMITATIONS OF THIS RELEASE

snr_power is 0.0 in Measurement_ALL and PW_SNR_ERM (meaningful SNR values live in PW_Measurement_LRA and the acceleration/force SNR columns). The impedance-phase table and the ERM voltage-frequency table exist in the SQL schema but are empty. All comment columns are NULL. mass_in_g = 0 for VL32158H-L25 (metadata gap). Relational integrity is by convention (no enforced foreign keys except Pictures).


REUSE

SQL: restore with "mysql < actuator_quantification_snapshot_2026-08-24.sql" (MySQL 8) or convert to SQLite.
CSV: tool-independent; Measurement_ALL joins PW_Bode_Amplitude_ALL on id (not on frequency).
MATLAB: the databases-interface toolbox (connect / listActuators / getFrequencyResponse / getActuator / getSNR / getPictures) reads the live database or a restored snapshot.
Query hints: "force" is a reserved word in MySQL 8 (use backticks); compare input_voltage with a tolerance (floating point).


HOW TO CITE

Elnwegy, A.; Lüer, J.; Becker, M.; Tortorici, O.; Sadeghi, M.; Kern, T. A. (2026). iMEK Vibrotactile Actuator Characterization Database (Dataset). TUHH Universitätsbibliothek. https://doi.org/10.15480/882.18053

Related resources are linked via DataCite relatedIdentifiers: Technical Notes N1/N2 (Is Described By), the journal publication, the measurement equipment (Vibrodynamic Actuator Test-Stand, https://doi.org/10.15480/882.15316) and the web frontend https://ligeti.ha.tuhh.de/actuators/. Future data additions appear as new TORE versions with their own DOIs (Is New Version Of); this snapshot remains the archival version of record (10-year retention per TORE research data licence).


FUNDING

Funded by the BMFTR programme "Innovative Hochschule" (Grant No. 13IHS232C) and the City of Hamburg.