The Future of Tactile Haptics: Emerging Technologies and Novel Applications
摘要
Touch is an inherent part of how humans interact with the physical world and the sensory feedback gained from those interactions provides a wealth of information and subjective experiences. However, the active tactile feedback that is available in commercial interfaces and devices remains limited, often using just simple vibration motors, leaving the rich human touch sense untapped. This chapter describes three emerging tactile technologies that have the potential to enrich human-computer interaction: thermal stimulation, ultrasound haptics, and electrotactile feedback. The chapter explains the perceptual underpinnings of each technology and the corresponding design space, alongside the devices used to create sensations. Prominent novel application areas for each are presented to provide users with more holistic interfaces: richer emotional experiences, informative automotive control feedback, and immersive virtual media and environments. Finally, key challenges in using these technologies and future avenues for research and commercialization are discussed.