Initially, computers could deal only with numbers. It took many years to realize the importance of operating with text. The introduction of CRT display technologies allowed graphics to be displayed, giving us a new way to interact with computers. As processing power increased over time, three-dimensional (3D) graphics became more common, and we may now peer into synthetic worlds that seem solid and almost real. Likewise, until recently, the notion of carrying on a “conversation” with our computer was far-fetched. Now, speech technology has progressed to the point that many interesting applications are being considered. Just over the horizon, computer vision is destined to play a role in face and gesture recognition. It seems clear that as the art of computing progresses, even more of the human sensory palette will become engaged.
It is likely that the sense of touch (haptics) will be the next sense to play an important role in this evolution.
We use touch pervasively in our everyday lives, and are accustomed to easy manipulation of objects in three dimensions. Even our conversation is peppered with references to touching. We principally use our hands to explore and interact with our surroundings. The hand is unique in this respect because it is both an input device and an output device, sensing and actuation are integrated within the same active living mechanism. Just as the primitive man forged hand tools to triumph over harsh nature, we need to develop smart devices to interface with information-rich real and virtual worlds. Given the ever-increasing quantities and types of information that surrounds us, and to which we need to respond rapidly, there is a critical need to explore new ways to interact with information. In order to be efficient in this interaction, it is essential that we utilize all of our sensorimotor capabilities. Our haptic system – with its tactile, kinesthetic, and motor capabilities together with the associated cognitive processes– presents a uniquely bi-directional information channel to our brains, yet it remains underutilized. Haptics is poised for rapid growth. Haptics is receiving broad, global acceptance. There are many terms used to describe haptics technology in user interfaces, including “full force feedback,” “rumble feedback,” “tactile feedback,” “touch-enabled,” “vibration,” and “vibrotactile.