Haptic technology creates a realistic touch sensation in devices. It is part of the foundation of a virtual and augmented reality (XR and VR) experience, bringing the realism of touch, taste, and smell in some cases to an XR experience.
A new report in Fortune Business Insights notes that the haptic technology will reach $7.31 B by 2030. The report points to the increasing need for complete immersion in consumer electronics.
In 2011, at the IEEE World Haptics conference, they predicted that advanced tactile capabilities would be generally available by 2020, and users would be able to touch and manipulate what they saw on screens and feel shape, texture and softness.
Ten years ago, Fujitsu Labs debuted the next generation of touch – a prototype of a haptic sensory tablet at the Mobile World Congress in 2014. Fujitsu Lab’s new haptic sensor technology can simulate 3D geometric features such as bumps, ridges, edges and protrusions on touchscreen surfaces.
It’s been a long time coming.
A scientific paper in Nature published earlier this year in May noted that haptic feedback technology is still in its infancy, and bridging the gap between haptic technology and the real world to enable ambient haptic feedback on a physical surface is a challenge in the field of human-computer interaction. The paper was based on research to create an active electronic (AE) skin that would be an interface towards ambient haptic feedback on physical surfaces.
Shifting haptic landscape
“As a society, we have been enraptured by the wonders of immersive entertainment and incorporating haptics and tactile feedback is one way to engage senses beyond sight and hearing, offering deeper immersion in connected experiences,” Philippe Guillotel, distinguished scientist at InterDigital. “Over the coming years, haptic devices are set to explode due to growing demand from the addressable market including the likes of TVs, game consoles, smartphones and headphones, now that there is a push towards a more homogenous market.”
Guillotel says haptics have advanced since 2021. “When MPEG established haptics as a “first-order media type,” it effectively promoted haptics to the same level as audio and video,” said Guillotel.
Earlier this year, in April 2024, SenseGlove announced its wireless VR gloves, which feature feedback in the palm. The gloves combine three haptic feedback technologies in a wireless compact design: active contact feedback to feel palm impacts and grasping sensations, force feedback to feel the size and stiffness of virtual objects, and vibrotactile feedback to feel cues and basic textures.
The company says the glove doesn’t restrict finger movements around virtual objects but encompasses the whole palm, enabling users to feel a range of interactions, from breaking an egg to shaking hands.
Live sports
Guillotel says haptics add another layer to immersive visuals and sensory experiences, helping everyone engage with content or even live experiences.
An example of the power of haptics is the sensory shirts used by the Newcastle Football Club. Newcastle FC implanted haptics into the shirts of deaf fans so they could feel the sounds of the crowd at the match. The shirts used conductive textiles and haptic modules integrated into the fabric. Broadcast microphones capture the sound around the pitch, which is then converted from analog to digital format with software. The software transforms the crowd noise into touch data that is wirelessly transmitted to the shirt via an antenna in real-time.
On August 20, 2024, D-BOX Technologies, known for its motion-enabled cinema seats, announced the renewal of a three-year licensing rights agreement with The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). The company offers a range of haptic technology solutions, including sim racing and immersive training.
Human connection, STEM learning and military applications“Social communication will benefit from haptics,” said Guillotel. “This is not only for people who might be hard of hearing, as demonstrated by the Newcastle FC experience, but for more traditional non-verbal communication where haptic-enhanced messages, pictures, or sounds could be the next wave.
In 2023, researchers at NTT Docomo, Keio University, and the Nagoya Institute of Technology developed sensation-sharing technology that enables users to send movement or tactile sensations—like the texture of the fabric or shaping clay with another person miles away—digitally. The researchers said this adds another layer to human communications.
STEM learning
The tablet has transformed how teachers can use technology to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in early childhood classrooms. However, one challenge for mobile devices in STEM learning is the lack of sensory information.
A study from the University of Illinois in 2024 analyzed 12 papers covering haptic or tactile learning applications for children between the ages of three and 18. These included handwriting, reading, STEM education, and collaborative learning.
The SpARklingPaper device combines visual feedback from a tablet with the real-world tactile experience of a pen and paper. Another educational haptic device, Phantom Omni, uses force feedback to help visually impaired children interact with 3D shapes.
The study highlights handwriting as an area where haptic technology can impact learning strategies.
Amal Hatira, lead author of the study published in Advanced Intelligent Systems, said feedback aids in fine motor control and handwriting proficiency and gives guidance for learners to improve their writing abilities. Hatira also said geometry/spatial recognition and collaborative education environments are other areas where haptic technology can benefit students.
Military applications
In 2021, the US military announced it was investing in haptic technology for training. Earlier this year, Meta licensed new haptic technology and signed a deal with Immersion Corporation to leverage its patents to enhance Meta’s XR hardware, software, and products. Immersion Corporation’s patented technology increases realism and immersion during an AR/VR/MR experience, such as training, where haptics can simulate real-world assets.
Growth through standardizationHowever, InterDigital’s Guillotel says a lack of standards leads to fragmentation and low adoption of new technologies because standards define interoperability between platforms and vendors.
“Currently, haptics standards are fragmented, which drives up developer costs and lowers adoption rates. Like audio and visual, haptics need standards to ensure all aspects involved in the end-to-end delivery of the technology are compatible,” said Guillotel.
“MPEG has been key in the development of immersive media and has adopted haptics as a recognized first-order media type across media format files, which includes the widely used .3gp and .mp4 video formats. Streaming protocols have also been extended to support the transport of haptics,” said Guillotel.
Personal electronics“With the haptics market expected to grow to more than 4.1 billion haptic-enabled devices by the end of 2024, this number is expected to grow further to 6.7 billion devices by 2028,” said Guillotel. “Ultimately, it’s personal electronics that will drive this boom, with smartphones accounting for 79% of the haptic-enhanced audio-visual entertainment devices, and this will represent only 59% of haptic devices by 2028 as the mix of other haptic-equipped products increases.
“Today, haptics are viewed as an enhancement to content rather than fully immersive, but as standards are increasingly ratified, this will change,” said Guillotel. “In XR, haptics provide an opportunity to create realistic scenarios where this tactile feedback allows the user to utilize all their senses.”
Extended reality
“Extended Reality is a key market for haptics, and by 2028, we expect to see some major leaps in the headset market resulting in a renewed excitement for VR experiences, which has a knock-on effect on haptic devices,” he added.
Guillotel believes the cost is holding back growth.
“XR gloves with haptics embedded can cost more than $2,000. And, because the diverse device ecosystem prevents interoperability without added configuration, developers do not invest in high-quality haptic performance due to higher costs and time to implement,” he added.
Guillotel says there are a few things to be excited about once we jump over the cost hurdle.
“It should be feasible to broadcast or stream fully immersive experiences using haptics, and how haptics could enhance consumer devices such as headphones or a smartphone,” said Guillotel, “Think about the haptic emoji.”
