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In this study, we developed a new haptic–mixed reality intravenous (HMR-IV) needle insertion simulation system, providing a bimanual haptic interface integrated into a mixed reality system with programmable variabilities considering real clinical environments. The system was designed for nursing students or healthcare professionals to practice IV needle insertion into a virtual arm with unlimited attempts under various changing insertion conditions (e.g., skin: color, texture, stiffness, friction; vein: size, shape, location depth, stiffness, friction). To achieve accurate hand–eye coordination under dynamic mixed reality scenarios, two different haptic devices (Dexmo and Geomagic Touch) and a standalone mixed reality system (HoloLens 2) were integrated and synchronized through multistep calibration for different coordinate systems (real world, virtual world, mixed reality world, haptic interface world, HoloLens camera). In addition, force-profile-based haptic rendering proposed in this study was able to successfully mimic the real tactile feeling of IV needle insertion. Further, a global hand-tracking method, combining two depth sensors (HoloLens and Leap Motion), was developed to accurately track a haptic glove and simulate grasping a virtual hand with force feedback. We conducted an evaluation study with 20 participants (9 experts and 11 novices) to measure the usability of the HMR-IV simulation system with user performance under various insertion conditions. The quantitative results from our own metric and qualitative results from the NASA Task Load Index demonstrate the usability of our system.

Imagine a community that does not only exist of humans but also has animals and robots as equal partners. How do we imagine physical interactions with others in such a community will feel? In this paper, we describe an experiment in which 172 participants designed haptic cues related to 13 presented images of a non-human animal or robot. We designed the experiment as an interactive experience at a science festival, where we used soft robotic haptic displays to present haptic cues. The results show that within the presented parameter space, the design choices of the participants were consistent, with clear differences between most of the images. For example, the haptic cue chosen for the elephant was very different from that of the spider. More specifically, we observe that haptic cue frequency and pressure are both correlated with haptic cue area, where larger cue size is associated with lower frequency and higher pressure. Overall, the results of the experiment demonstrate the potential of a large soft robotic haptic display as a versatile interface for human-machine interaction, and of our interactive experiment design as a tool for haptic cue classification by probing shared expectations among human participants.

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.

Immersive technologies have seen growing popularity in recent years, with an increasing demand for advanced haptic interfaces to simulate realistic virtual experiences. As this technology has improved, haptic interfaces have been created to offer rich feedback for specific scenarios. However, their versatility is often limited. Modularity in haptics offers adaptability and customization that broadens the range of uses cases that can be provided from a singular device. This systematic review examines state-of-the-art modular haptic devices that offer unique advantages in terms of adaptability and customization. It reviews 35 papers on modular haptics published in scientific journals and conferences over the last decade. The modular systems are categorized by their method of modularity in positioning, construction, attachment, and end-effectors. The review discusses how each paper integrates modularity and provides an overview of its application in haptics. Finally, the review discusses the challenges of integrating modularity in haptic interfaces and based on this identifies potential future directions.

Novel sensing and actuation technologies have notably advanced haptic interfaces, paving the way for more immersive user experiences. We introduce a haptic system that transcends traditional pressure-based interfaces by delivering more comprehensive tactile sensations. This system provides an interactive combination of a robotic hand and haptic glove to operate devices within the wireless communication range. Each component is equipped with independent sensors and actuators, enabling real-time mirroring of user’s hand movements and the effective transmission of tactile information. Remarkably, the proposed system has a multimodal feedback mechanism based on both vibration motors and Peltier elements. This mechanism ensures a varied tactile experience encompassing pressure and temperature sensations. The accuracy of tactile feedback is meticulously calibrated according to experimental data, thereby enhancing the reliability of the system and user experience. The Peltier element for temperature feedback allows users to safely experience temperatures similar to those detected by the robotic hand. Potential applications of this system are wide ranging and include operations in hazardous environments and medical interventions. By providing realistic tactile sensations, our haptic system aims to improve both the performance and safety of workers in such critical sectors, thereby highlighting the great potential of advanced haptic technologies.

The utilization of high-resolution haptic feedback devices in a virtual reality (VR) environment can increase the precision of controlling remotely operated vehicles and reduce training costs for subsea construction operations. This paper introduces a novel flexible-driven wearable pin-array device. The spatial separation of the control box and actuator allows the device to attain natural and seamless interactive movements while delivering high-density haptic feedback in VR. The pin array consists of 25 haptic pin modules that run on a linear servo motor via a flexible shaft for force transmission. The analysis and calculation of the flexible transmission resistance effect using the haptic pin module’s shaft length and bending radius were conducted. A series of experiments was performed to gather comprehensive data on the pin module’s output, transmission resistance and error, and response delay to optimize its structural design and transmission strategy. The device’s effectiveness in rendering shape and coarse texture was evaluated via two user studies. The results affirm that the introduced device enables users to precisely discern seven shapes and four distinct coarse surfaces.

This paper presents a new type of wearable haptic device which can augment a sensor glove in various tasks of telemanipulation. We present the details of its two alternative designs jamming tubes or jamming pads , and their control system. These devices use the jamming phenomena to change the stiffness of their elements and block the hand movement when a vacuum is applied. We present results of our experiments to measure static and dynamic changes in stiffness, which can be used to change the perception of grabbing hard or soft objects. The device, at its current state is capable of resisting forces of up to 7 N with 5 mm displacement and can simulate hardness up to the hardness of a rubber. However, time necessary for a complete change of stiffness is high (time constant 0.5 s); therefore, additional cutaneous interface was added in a form of small vibration motors. Finally, we show an application of the haptic interface in our teleoperation system to provide the operator with haptic feedback in a light weight and simple form.

Haptic technology has the potential to bring tactile richness to touchscreens on smartphones, tablets, and laptops, unlocking new dimensions for digital interaction and communication. Yet, despite notable advancements in visual resolution, the resolution of tactile pixels—referred to as “taxels”—lags significantly behind, limiting the immersive tactile feedback required for a truly enriched user experience. To bridge this gap, the study presents a transparent haptic interface with a 3D architecture that dynamically reconfigures high‐resolution taxels through a densely integrated actuator array. Each actuator can be precisely inflated through fluid pressure to deliver tactile feedback with exceptional clarity and density, surpassing both the tactile perception and two‐point discrimination thresholds of human fingertips. This haptic interface reveals transformative potential for enhancing touchscreen interactions in applications such as touch panel control, virtual exploration, and gaming, as it can be reversibly attached to various touchscreens and create nuanced topographical features that align with on‐screen visuals. Integrating haptic feedback into touchscreens—enabling users to feel what they see on screen—has been a longstanding goal. In this article, B. Shan et al develop a transparent morphable haptic interface that transforms touchscreens into finely detailed, programmable morphable surfaces, enabling more effective and immersive human‐computer interaction.

Prior to realizing fully autonomous driving, human intervention is periodically required to guarantee vehicle safety. This poses a new challenge in human–machine interaction, particularly during the control authority transition from automated functionality to a human driver. Herein, this challenge is addressed by proposing an intelligent haptic interface based on a newly developed two‐phase human–machine interaction model. The intelligent haptic torque is applied to the steering wheel and switches its functionality between predictive guidance and haptic assistance according to the varying state and control ability of human drivers. This helps drivers gradually resume manual control during takeover. The developed approach is validated by conducting vehicle experiments with 26 participants. The results suggest that the proposed method effectively enhances the driving state recovery and control performance of human drivers during takeover compared with an existing approach. Thus, this new method further improves the safety and smoothness of human–machine interaction in automated vehicles. Herein, the automation‐to‐human handover control problem of automated vehicles is addressed by using an intelligent haptic interface. The intelligent haptic torque is applied to the steering wheel and switches its functionality between predictive guidance and haptic assistance according to the varying state and control ability of human drivers. This helps drivers gradually resume manual control during takeover.

Haptics applications are receiving increasing attention in entertainment, medical support systems, and various industries. Three-dimensional (3D) haptics is important to provide users real experiences. Conventional haptic devices consist of many motors and mechanical elements grounded in an environment. Therefore, they are large in size and heavy. Haptic devices using asymmetric vibrations can display illusion forces with mobile structures. However, they need additional structures (comprising actuators) to generate a 3D illusion force; however, the operational mechanism becomes complex. To solve this problem, we propose the use of a 3-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) oscillatory actuator that can generate a 3DOF vibration using only one actuator. This study describes the basic characteristics and operating verification of the 3DOF oscillatory actuator. The static thrust characteristics are quantified and analyzed using a finite element method. The dynamics are calculated based on numerical simulations using a dynamic model. The prototype’s experimental results show that the 3DOF actuator can generate 3DOF vibration.