Haptic Systems: Trends and Lessons Learned for Haptics in Spacesuits

Abstract

Haptic technology uses forces, vibrations, and movements to simulate a sense of touch. In the context of spacesuits, proposals to use haptic systems are scant despite evidence of their efficacy in other domains. Existing review studies have sought to summarize existing haptic system applications. Despite their contributions to the body of knowledge, existing studies have not assessed the applicability of existing haptic systems in spacesuit design to meet contemporary challenges. This study asks, “What can we learn from existing haptic technologies to create spacesuits?”. As such, we examine academic and commercial haptic systems to address this issue and draw insights for spacesuit design. The study shows that kinesthetic and tactile haptic systems have been effectively utilized in various domains, including healthcare, gaming, and education to improve the sense of touch and terrain and reduce sensory deprivation. Subjective and objective evaluation methods have been utilized to assess the efficacy and safety of haptic systems. Furthermore, this study discusses the usefulness, safety, and applicability of haptics in spacesuits and the implications for research into space haptics.

Adding Sound Transparency to a Spacesuit: Effect on Cognitive Performance in Females

“…Solutions to mitigate sensory degradation have also been proposed via the use of various interfaces, such as multimodal screens [14] , Augmented Reality [15] , new glove designs [16] , and passive electro-stimulation for haptic sensory substitution [17] , among others. Compared to other solutions such as haptics [18] , sound design [19] has been an overlooked area that offers potential for improvement with minimal engineering drawbacks.…”