Haptic devices are those gadgets that utilize one of the three senses not yet thoroughly exploited by modern computers – the sense of touch.
New Scientist is running a story about several such devices that simulate the sense of touch. Either the feeling of picking up a weighty object, using wheeled sandals to walk in place while your motion is being tracked, or through using light and reflection to judge the shape of an object and how tightly it’s being held – all of these devices are examples of haptic technology. All of them are bringing us closer to a true virtual environment where the user experiences all aspects, not just visual and aural.
We’ve already experienced some haptic devices on the market, such as force feedback joysticks and controllers. The devices highlighted at New Scientist wouldn’t simply allow for more amazing game play however, they could allow for the remote operation of machinery at a level never before known. A surgeon in Tokyo could operate on a patient in Mexico and feel what they’re doing – every cut. Imagine that!
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