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What is Haptics?
Haptics is a multidisciplinary field of study that includes touch perception, touch communication, and the development and use of haptic interfaces.
Key Takeaways
- Haptic technology uses touch to communicate information, receive information, and interact with computer hardware and software.
- Because touch is fundamental to emotional communication, haptics can create more immersive digital experiences.
- Haptic technology can simulate textures, forces, and motions digitally to mimic real-world sensations.
- Today, a wide variety of digital and mechatronic devices use haptics to provide feedback and issue alerts.
- To be effective, haptic technology needs to consistently reinforce the same cause-and-effect relationship for real or simulated touch.
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Purpose of Haptic Technology
Haptic technology can be used to enhance a sense of realism in virtual environments and provide feedback in situations where visual or auditory cues are limited or unavailable.
Touch plays a significant role in emotional communication, and incorporating haptic interfaces can enhance user engagement.
History of Haptics
The modern concept of haptics as we know it – using electromechanical and digital devices to provide user feedback or simulate the sensation of touch – began to take shape after the second world war. During this period, advancements in control systems, aviation, and robotics led to increased interest in tactile simulations and haptic feedback, particularly for training and operational purposes.
Haptics Importance
Haptics is an important field of study because it bridges the gap between the physical and digital worlds by simulating textures, forces, and motions.
Types of Haptic Technology
A wide variety of technologies can be used to simulate textures, forces, and motion in haptic systems.
- Vibration motors can simulate the sensation of roughness or smoothness by varying the frequency and amplitude of vibrations.
- Electrostatic friction can create the perception of surface friction by applying varying levels of electrostatic force.
- Ultrasonic waves can use high-frequency sound waves to create a sense of texture or friction on a touchscreen by manipulating air pressure.
- Piezoelectric actuators can create precise vibrations and surface deformations for fine texture simulation.
- Force feedback actuators can be used to provide physical resistance or pushing/pulling sensations in robotic systems and virtual reality.
- Servo motors can move or rotate components to simulate weight or resistance in flight, driving, and surgical simulators.
- Electromagnetic systems can use magnetic fields to generate attractive or repulsive forces and allow users to feel pushing or pulling sensations.
- Hydraulic or pneumatic actuators can use pressurized fluid or air to simulate force.
- Voice coil actuators (VCA) can generate highly precise movements to simulate textures, vibrations, or forces and provide targeted (localized) haptic feedback.
Inertial haptic systems use moving masses, such as in eccentric rotating mass (ERM) or linear resonant actuators (LRA), to create the sensation of motion or inertia.
ERM actuators use a small, unbalanced rotating mass to create vibrations. It is commonly used in devices like smartphones to provide vibration alerts.
LRA actuators use a linear-moving mass (usually a magnet or coil) that vibrates back and forth at a resonant frequency. This produces a more precise and localized haptic feedback compared to ERMs, and it is often used in touch interfaces for wearables.
The Three Most Common Haptic Applications
The judicious use of haptics can significantly enhance the user experience (UX) and improve interactions with technology by:
- Conveying information that might be difficult or inconvenient to convey through visual or auditory channels.
- Providing realistic tactile sensations that correspond with visual and auditory cues to make virtual experiences more realistic and immersive.
- Allowing users to interact with computing devices and virtual environments through touch or gestures.
Haptic Use Cases
Here are some examples of how haptic technology is currently being used:
- Haptics feedback is used to enhance touchscreen interactions by providing tactile confirmation for button presses
- Haptic alerts are used to improve auto safety by delivering a physical sensation that? immediately grabs the driver’s attention
- Haptic simulators allow surgeons to experience realistic tissue resistance when practicing procedures on virtual patients
- Haptic exoskeletons help patients regain motor skills and coordination after injuries or strokes by providing force feedback during exercise
- Teleoperated military robots use haptic feedback to learn about the weight and fragility of explosive devices
- Haptic vests use vibrotactile feedback to guide visually impaired people through crowded spaces
- Integrated haptic feedback in automobile touchscreens confirms virtual button presses while minimizing driver distraction
- Teleoperated robots use haptic feedback to repair equipment in hazardous locations
- Haptic gloves provide users with the ability to “feel” and interact with virtual objects and environments
Haptics Vibrations vs. Tactile Vibrations
Tactile vibrations are any vibrations that can be felt by the skin. They are primarily focused on creating a sensation.
In contrast, haptic vibrations are specifically designed to provide feedback or information to the user.
Haptic Technology Pros and Cons
As with any technology, haptic technology has both advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
- Uses touch to enhance machine-computer interactions
- Makes digital experiences more immersive by complementing audio and visual cues
- Can improve accessibility for users who have visual or auditory impairments
Cons
- Can add to the cost of product development and manufacturing
- Designing and integrating haptic technology requires specialized knowledge and expertise
- Excessive or poorly designed haptics can create sensory overload
The Bottom Line
In the late 19th and early 20th century, haptics focused primarily on the biological and emotional aspects of touch perception and touch communication. Over time, as technology advanced, the definition of haptics broadened to include engineering, computer science, and the development of devices and systems that use touch to facilitate human-computer interaction.
FAQs
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References
- What are teleoperated robots? Definition with examples – Standard Bots (Standardbots)
- What is Force Feedback: Explained (Irisdynamics)
- Understanding the basics of a voice coil actuator – Today’s Medical Developments (Todaysmedicaldevelopments)
- Eccentric Rotating Mass Motors – (Haptic Interfaces and Telerobotics) – Vocab, Definition, Explanations | Fiveable (Library.fiveable)
- SSZTAP9 Technical article | TI.com (Ti)
- Haptic Glove (People.ece.cornell)
