Projections show that the global haptic technology market will reach a size of $6.2 billion by 2028.
Companies are always looking for ways to improve their user experience, and one of the ways they can do this is by using haptic feedback. It’s a type of touch-responsive technology that can make interactions more in-depth and immersive.
So what is haptic feedback, and how do we use it? Keep reading to find out.
What Is Haptic Feedback?
Haptic feedback uses touch communication to interact with users. It’s a type of communication seen in many modern technologies for various purposes. Haptic feedback can fall into one of two categories: Kinesthetic and tactile.
Kinesthetic feedback communicates through muscles, joints, and tendons. It can communicate the size and weight of an object, as well as its position.
Tactile feedback provides information through the sensors in people’s skin. Through this, someone can determine the texture, pressure, and temperature of an object. This will also communicate if the object is moving in some way, such as vibrating.
Common Uses
Haptic feedback is often experienced naturally through items. With an electric toothbrush, for example, you can tell its size, shape, weight, and texture. When in use, you’ll also feel the vibration – note that this isn’t done deliberately so that the user can feel it, it’s just an effect of the product’s operation.
Something that provides a similar form of haptic feedback is a video game controller as you’ll be able to feel the same things, including vibration. With these, however, the purpose of the vibration is to communicate to the user when something specific happens in a game, increasing the level of immersion. This is known as vibrotactile feedback.
Other types of haptic feedback include:
- Force feedback
- Electro tactile feedback
- Ultrasound tactile feedback
- Thermal feedback
Force feedback will move an item that a user is holding. A common application is in car simulators, where the wheel may turn as a tactile response to better simulate real driving.
Future Uses
The gaming industry is showing no signs of slowing down, with haptic technology having a large role. The most prominent future use, however, seems to be in the form of virtual reality. This could still include gaming but also has other potential applications.
VR (virtual reality) headsets are quite common, and many companies are finding uses for other wearables such as gloves which provide haptic feedback. These could be used to interact with and play a game, giving a whole new level of immersion.
This same technology can also fit educational purposes. Some companies offer solutions implementing VR in training, and as the technology advances, this will only improve.
Further Possibilities
As the adaption of haptic technology is increasing, more advancements will be made, opening more doors. In the future this could also mean a decrease in costs/energy consumption for ultrasound tactile feedback and thermal feedback, presenting even more ways for organizations to implement haptic feedback.