Mid-Air Haptics: Future Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Ultrasound mid-air haptic technology has advanced in many ways over the past decade and has found meaningful application in a plethora of use cases. As the technology matures further and progresses from lab to market, in this chapter, we take a step back and discuss three specific directions that we think could result in the greatest impact. Namely, we highlight challenges and opportunities in improving (1) the hardware platforms used, (2) the rendering algorithms employed to create rich haptic sensations, and (3) the resulting user experience and added value the technology can instill to different end-user applications. We hope that this "wishlist" inspires the mid-air haptics and human computer interaction (HCI) community and others to join our efforts toward a deeper technology understanding, integration, and readiness.

A Universal Volumetric Haptic Actuation Platform

“…Furthermore, as flexible displays become increasingly available, this approach to volumetric haptics could potentially be integrated within a display. Much of the current focus of volumetric haptics is focused on VR and AR environments [55]. A fascinating suggestion is the idea that volumetric haptics may be a necessity in the field of tele-surgery, where a surgeon needs precise feedback to operate precision tools remotely [56][57][58].…”

Survey on Hand-Based Haptic Interaction for Virtual Reality

“…AIREAL [98] is designed to use a vortex, a ring of air that can travel large distances to hit a user's skin. Ultrasound devices [99]- [101] modulate the activation of an array of ultrasound transducers to create focal pressure around the user, which can give the user tactile cues of gestures, textures, and virtual objects.…”