Ivan makarov

@hi.is

Faculty of Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science; Icelandic Vision Lab, Faculty of Psychology, School of Health Sciences
University of Iceland

Ivan makarov


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https://researchid.co/vanmak4

RESEARCH INTERESTS

visual attention, visual perception, tactile attention, multimodal attention
17

Scopus Publications

104

Scholar Citations

6

Scholar h-index

4

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Assessing Spatial and Spatiotemporal Tactile Working Memory Using Adaptive Staircase Procedures
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Runar Unnthorsson, Árni Kristjánsson
    Sensors, 2026
    Tactile working memory limits the amount of information that can be processed through touch, with important implications for the design of haptic communication systems. Although visual and auditory working memory have been extensively investigated, tactile working memory, particularly for spatial and spatiotemporal sequences, remains less well understood. The present study examined tactile working memory capacity in two psychophysical experiments. Participants reproduced sequential vibrotactile stimuli delivered to the forearm via a 3 × 3 array of voice-coil actuators by entering responses through keypresses. Both experiments employed an adaptive 3-up/1-down staircase procedure, in which sequence length was adjusted according to response accuracy, and thresholds were estimated from reversal points. In Experiment 1 (Ordered Recall), participants reproduced both the spatial locations and the temporal order of stimulation, yielding a memory capacity threshold of approximately four items. In Experiment 2 (Unordered Recall), participants recalled only the set of stimulated locations without regard to order, resulting in a higher threshold of approximately five items. These results demonstrate that incorporating temporal sequencing demands into spatial recall substantially increases cognitive load and reduces effective tactile memory capacity. The findings clarify fundamental limits of tactile working memory and provide practical guidance for the development of haptic interfaces, wearable feedback systems, and sensory substitution technologies that must balance information complexity with human cognitive constraints.
  • Discriminating Vibrotactile Signals: The Relative Roles of Amplitude and Frequency
    Ivan Makarov, Árni Kristjánsson, Runar Unnthorsson
    Actuators, 2026
    Vibrotactile interfaces commonly encode information using changes in stimulus amplitude and frequency, yet it remains unclear how reliably these parameters can be distinguished when spatial cues are unavailable. The present study examined discrimination of vibrotactile signals that differed in amplitude, frequency, or both, with sequential stimulation delivered to a single location on the wrist. Vibrotactile stimuli were presented through a wearable actuator, and participants judged whether pairs of signals were the same or different. Discrimination performance was high when stimuli differed in amplitude, whereas signals differing only in frequency were difficult to distinguish and often produced performance near chance. Importantly, adding frequency differences to amplitude differences did not improve discrimination beyond amplitude differences alone. These findings indicate that, under non-spatial and sequential presentation conditions, amplitude provides a robust cue for vibrotactile signal discrimination, whereas frequency modulations on their own offer limited benefits for perceptual discrimination. The results highlight basic constraints on vibrotactile perception that are relevant for the design of wearable tactile interfaces and sensory substitution devices.
  • Sensory Substitution Through Vibrotactile Stimulation
    Árni Kristjánsson, Ivan Makarov, Nashmin Yeganeh, Runar Unnthorsson
    Signals and Communication Technology, 2026
  • Vibrotactile pattern recognition:Influence of interstimulus intervals
    Nashmin YEGANEH, Ivan MAKAROV, Árni KRISTJÁNSSON, Runar UNNTHORSSON
    Virtual Reality and Intelligent Hardware, 2025
  • Haptic Feedback Systems for Lower-Limb Prosthetic Applications: A Review of System Design, User Experience, and Clinical Insights
    Mohammadmahdi Karimi, Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Atli Örn Sverrisson, Karl Fannar Gunnarsson, et al.
    Bioengineering, 2025
    Systems presenting haptic information have emerged as an important technological advance in assisting individuals with sensory impairments or amputations, where the aim is to enhance sensory perception or provide sensory substitution through tactile feedback. These systems provide information on limb positioning, environmental interactions, and gait events, significantly improving mobility in amputees and their confidence about using such devices. This review summarizes recent progress in haptic feedback systems by providing a comparative analysis of different feedback approaches, evaluating their clinical effectiveness and usability, tactile feedback system design, and user experience, while identifying key gaps in the literature. These insights can contribute to the advancement of more effective, user-centered haptic feedback systems tailored for lower limb prosthetics. The findings are aimed at guiding future research in designing adaptive, intuitive, and clinically viable feedback mechanisms, fostering the widespread implementation of haptic systems in both assistive and rehabilitative applications.
  • The effects of visual and auditory synchrony on human foraging
    Ivan Makarov, Runar Unnthorsson, Árni Kristjánsson, Ian M. Thornton
    Attention Perception and Psychophysics, 2024
  • Cross-Modal Cues Improve the Detection of Synchronized Targets during Human Foraging
    Ivan Makarov, Runar Unnthorsson, Árni Kristjánsson, Ian M. Thornton
    Multisensory Research, 2024
    In two experiments, we explored whether cross-modal cues can be used to improve foraging for multiple targets in a novel human foraging paradigm. Foraging arrays consisted of a 6 × 6 grid containing outline circles with a small dot on the circumference. Each dot rotated from a random starting location in steps of 30°, either clockwise or counterclockwise, around the circumference. Targets were defined by a synchronized rate of rotation, which varied from trial-to-trial, and there were two distractor sets, one that rotated faster and one that rotated slower than the target rate. In Experiment 1, we compared baseline performance to a condition in which a nonspatial auditory cue was used to indicate the rate of target rotation. While overall foraging speed remained slow in both conditions, suggesting serial scanning of the display, the auditory cue reduced target detection times by a factor of two. In Experiment 2, we replicated the auditory cue advantage, and also showed that a vibrotactile pulse, delivered to the wrist, could be almost as effective. Interestingly, a visual-cue to rotation rate, in which the frame of the display changed polarity in step with target rotation, did not lead to the same foraging advantage. Our results clearly demonstrate that cross-modal cues to synchrony can be used to improve multitarget foraging, provided that synchrony itself is a defining feature of target identity.
  • Discrimination Accuracy of Sequential Versus Simultaneous Vibrotactile Stimulation on the Forearm
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Árni Kristjánsson, Runar Unnthorsson
    Applied Sciences Switzerland, 2024
    We examined discrimination accuracy of vibrotactile patterns on the upper forearm using a 2 × 3 array of voice coil actuators to generate 100 Hz vibrotactile stimulation. We evaluated participants’ ability to recognize distinct vibrotactile patterns presented both simultaneously (1000 ms) and sequentially (500 ms with a 450 ms interval). Recognition accuracy was significantly higher for sequential (93.24%) than for simultaneous presentation (26.15%). Patterns using 2–3 actuators were recognized more accurately than those using 4–5 actuators. During sequential presentation, there were primacy and recency effects; accuracy was higher for the initial and final stimulations in a sequence. Over time, participants also demonstrated a learning effect, becoming more adept at recognizing and interpreting vibrotactile patterns. This underscores the potential for skill development and emphasizes the value of training for wearable vibrotactile devices. We discuss the implications of these findings for the design of tactile communication devices and wearable technology.
  • The Haptic Intensity Order Illusion Is Caused by Amplitude Changes
    Ivan Makarov, Snorri Steinn Stefánsson Thors, Elvar Atli Ævarsson, Finnur Kári Pind Jörgensson, Nashmin Yeganeh, et al.
    ACM Transactions on Applied Perception, 2023
    When two brief vibrotactile stimulations are sequentially applied to observers’ lower back, there is systematic mislocalization of the stimulation: if the second stimulation is of higher intensity than the first one, observers tend to respond that the second stimulation was above the first one, and vice versa when weak intensity stimulation follows a strong one. This haptic mislocalization effect has been called the intensity order illusion . In the original demonstration of the illusion, frequency and amplitude of the stimulation were inextricably linked so that changes in amplitude also resulted in changes in frequency. It is therefore unknown whether the illusion is caused by changes in frequency, amplitude or both. To test this, we performed a multifactorial experiment, where we used L5 actuators that allow independent manipulation of frequency and amplitude. This approach enabled us to investigate the effects of stimulus amplitude, frequency and location, and to assess any potential interactions among these factors. We report four main findings: (1) we were able to replicate the intensity order illusion with the L5 tactors; (2) the illusion mainly occurred in the upwards direction, or in other words, when strong stimulation following a weaker one occurred above or in the same location as the first stimulation; (3) the illusion did not occur when similar stimulation patterns were applied in the horizontal direction; and (4) the illusion was solely due to changes in amplitude, whereas changes in frequency (100 Hz vs 200 Hz) had no effect.
  • Effects of Stimulus Frequency and Location on Vibrotactile Discrimination Performance Using Voice Coil Actuators on the Forearm
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Runar Unnthorsson, Árni Kristjánsson
    Actuators, 2023
    What are the effects of frequency variation of vibrotactile stimuli on localization acuity? The precise localization of vibrotactile stimuli is crucial for applications that are aimed at conveying vibrotactile information. In order to evaluate the ability to distinguish between vibrotactile stimuli based on their frequency and location on the forearm, we used a relative point localization method. Participants were presented with pairs of sequential vibrotactile stimuli at three possible locations on the forearm and asked to determine whether the second stimulation occurred at the same location as the first one in the pair or not. The stimulation frequency varied between 100 Hz, 150 Hz, 200 Hz and 250 Hz, which covers the range of frequencies that human observers are most sensitive to. The amplitude was kept constant. Our results revealed that the ability to discriminate between actuators remained unaffected by variations in the frequency of vibrotactile stimulation within the tested frequency range. The accuracy of the tactile discrimination task was heavily dependent on the location of the stimulation on the forearm, with the highest accuracy close to the wrist and elbow, locations that may serve as tactile anchor points. Our results highlight the critical role of stimulation location in precise vibrotactile localization and the importance of careful consideration of location in the design of forearm-mounted vibrotactile devices.
  • CATEGORIZATION IN HYBRID SEARCH: A STUDY USING EYE MOVEMENT REGISTRATION
    F.A. Sapronov, I.M. Makarov, E.S. Gorbunova
    Experimental Psychology Russia, 2023
  • Discrimination of Vibrotactile Stimuli: Effects of Frequency Variation
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Árni Kristjánsson, Runar Unnthorsson
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition Proceedings Imece, 2023
  • Evaluating the Optimum Distance between Voice Coil Actuators Using the Relative Point Localization Method on the Forearm
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Snorri Steinn Stefánsson Thors, Árni Kristjánsson, Runar Unnthorsson
    Actuators, 2023
  • VIBROTACTILE SLEEVE TO IMPROVE MUSIC ENJOYMENT OF COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS
    Nashmin Yeganeh, Ivan Makarov, Snorri Steinn Stefánsson Thors, Hafliði Ásgeirsson, Árni Kristjánsson, et al.
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition Proceedings Imece, 2022
  • Role of the category level in hybrid search
    Voprosy Psikhologii, 2021
  • Target-Target Perceptual Similarity Within the Attentional Blink
    Ivan M. Makarov, Elena S. Gorbunova
    Frontiers in Psychology, 2020
  • The role of working memory in dual-target visual search
    Elena S. Gorbunova, Kirill S. Kozlov, Sofia Tkhan Tin Le, Ivan M. Makarov
    Frontiers in Psychology, 2019

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Assessing Spatial and Spatiotemporal Tactile Working Memory Using Adaptive Staircase Procedures
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson
    Sensors 26 (8), 2361 , 2026
    2026
  • Discriminating Vibrotactile Signals: The Relative Roles of Amplitude and Frequency
    I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    Actuators 15 (3), 164 , 2026
    2026
  • Sensory substitution through vibrotactile stimulation
    Á Kristjánsson, I Makarov, N Yeganeh, R Unnthorsson
    Mobility of Visually Impaired People: Fundamentals and ICT Assistive … , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 1
  • Vibrotactile pattern recognition: Influence of interstimulus intervals
    N YEGANEH, I MAKAROV, Á KRISTJÁNSSON, R UNNTHORSSON
    Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware 7 (5), 483-500 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 3
  • Haptic feedback systems for lower-limb prosthetic applications: a review of system design, user experience, and clinical insights
    M Karimi, N Yeganeh, I Makarov, AÖ Sverrisson, KF Gunnarsson, K Briem, ...
    Bioengineering 12 (9), 989 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • Using multimodal attention to design sensory substitution devices: Basic research and application
    I Makarov
    University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Psychology , 2024
    2024
  • Cross-modal cues improve the detection of synchronized targets during human foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson, IM Thornton
    Multisensory Research 37 (6-8), 457-474 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 3
  • The effects of visual and auditory synchrony on human foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson, IM Thornton
    Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 86 (3), 909-930 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 8
  • Discrimination accuracy of sequential versus simultaneous vibrotactile stimulation on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    Applied Sciences 14 (1), 43 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 17
  • The haptic intensity order illusion is caused by amplitude changes
    I Makarov, SS Stefánsson Thors, EA Ævarsson, FKP Jörgensson, ...
    ACM Transactions on Applied Perception 21 (1), 1-18 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 10
  • Discrimination of Vibrotactile Stimuli: Effects of Frequency Variation
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 87585 … , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 2
  • Effects of stimulus frequency and location on vibrotactile discrimination performance using voice coil actuators on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson
    Actuators 12 (6), 224 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 19
  • Categorization in hybrid search: A study using eye movement registration
    FA Sapronov, IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Experimental Psychology (Russia) 16 (3), 121-138 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 2
  • Evaluating the optimum distance between voice coil actuators using the relative point localization method on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, SS Stefánsson Thors, Á Kristjánsson, ...
    Actuators 12 (1), 6 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 12
  • The effects of auditory and visual synchrony on foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnporsson, A Kristjansson, IM Thornton
    PERCEPTION 51, 198-198 , 2022
    2022
  • Vibrotactile sleeve to improve music enjoyment of cochlear implant users
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, S Steinn Stefánsson Thors, H Ásgeirsson, ...
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 86625 … , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 5
  • Role of the category level in hybrid search
    AN Angelgard, IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Voprosy Psikhologii 67 (2), 148-158 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 2
  • Target-target perceptual similarity within the attentional blink
    IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Frontiers in Psychology 11, 551890 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 6
  • Target-Distracter Similarity in Visual Search for Multiple Targets
    I Makarov, E Gorbunova
    PERCEPTION 48, 112-112 , 2019
    2019
  • The role of working memory in dual-target visual search
    ES Gorbunova, KS Kozlov, STT Le, IM Makarov
    Frontiers in psychology 10, 1673 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 5

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Effects of stimulus frequency and location on vibrotactile discrimination performance using voice coil actuators on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson
    Actuators 12 (6), 224 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 19
  • Discrimination accuracy of sequential versus simultaneous vibrotactile stimulation on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    Applied Sciences 14 (1), 43 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 17
  • Evaluating the optimum distance between voice coil actuators using the relative point localization method on the forearm
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, SS Stefánsson Thors, Á Kristjánsson, ...
    Actuators 12 (1), 6 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 12
  • The haptic intensity order illusion is caused by amplitude changes
    I Makarov, SS Stefánsson Thors, EA Ævarsson, FKP Jörgensson, ...
    ACM Transactions on Applied Perception 21 (1), 1-18 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 10
  • Haptic feedback systems for lower-limb prosthetic applications: a review of system design, user experience, and clinical insights
    M Karimi, N Yeganeh, I Makarov, AÖ Sverrisson, KF Gunnarsson, K Briem, ...
    Bioengineering 12 (9), 989 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 8
  • The effects of visual and auditory synchrony on human foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson, IM Thornton
    Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics 86 (3), 909-930 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 8
  • Target-target perceptual similarity within the attentional blink
    IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Frontiers in Psychology 11, 551890 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 6
  • Vibrotactile sleeve to improve music enjoyment of cochlear implant users
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, S Steinn Stefánsson Thors, H Ásgeirsson, ...
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 86625 … , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 5
  • The role of working memory in dual-target visual search
    ES Gorbunova, KS Kozlov, STT Le, IM Makarov
    Frontiers in psychology 10, 1673 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 5
  • Vibrotactile pattern recognition: Influence of interstimulus intervals
    N YEGANEH, I MAKAROV, Á KRISTJÁNSSON, R UNNTHORSSON
    Virtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware 7 (5), 483-500 , 2025
    2025
    Citations: 3
  • Cross-modal cues improve the detection of synchronized targets during human foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson, IM Thornton
    Multisensory Research 37 (6-8), 457-474 , 2024
    2024
    Citations: 3
  • Discrimination of Vibrotactile Stimuli: Effects of Frequency Variation
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition 87585 … , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 2
  • Categorization in hybrid search: A study using eye movement registration
    FA Sapronov, IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Experimental Psychology (Russia) 16 (3), 121-138 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 2
  • Role of the category level in hybrid search
    AN Angelgard, IM Makarov, ES Gorbunova
    Voprosy Psikhologii 67 (2), 148-158 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 2
  • Sensory substitution through vibrotactile stimulation
    Á Kristjánsson, I Makarov, N Yeganeh, R Unnthorsson
    Mobility of Visually Impaired People: Fundamentals and ICT Assistive … , 2026
    2026
    Citations: 1
  • Object and spatial working memory in visual search for multiple targets
    E Gorbunova, KS Kozlov, STT Le, IM Makarov
    Higher School of Economics Research Paper No. WP BRP 84 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 1
  • Assessing Spatial and Spatiotemporal Tactile Working Memory Using Adaptive Staircase Procedures
    N Yeganeh, I Makarov, R Unnthorsson, Á Kristjánsson
    Sensors 26 (8), 2361 , 2026
    2026
  • Discriminating Vibrotactile Signals: The Relative Roles of Amplitude and Frequency
    I Makarov, Á Kristjánsson, R Unnthorsson
    Actuators 15 (3), 164 , 2026
    2026
  • Using multimodal attention to design sensory substitution devices: Basic research and application
    I Makarov
    University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Psychology , 2024
    2024
  • The effects of auditory and visual synchrony on foraging
    I Makarov, R Unnporsson, A Kristjansson, IM Thornton
    PERCEPTION 51, 198-198 , 2022
    2022