Exploring views on affective haptic devices in times of COVID-19

Abstract

Affective haptic devices (AHDs) are communication technologies utilizing the sense of touch, and include mediated social touch (MST), symbolic haptic messaging, and awareness systems that, for example, let one feel another person's heartbeat. The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent social distancing measures have led to a reemphasis of the importance of social touch, and many people have experienced firsthand what it is like to miss touching loved ones. This offers an excellent opportunity to study people's intention to use AHDs. For this purpose, a survey study (n = 277) was conducted combining qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods. Touch deprivation, resulting from not being able to touch a loved one, was associated with intention to use AHDs: the more deprived an individual, the higher his or her intention to use AHDs. Technology readiness and touch aversion did not affect intention to use AHDs. AHDs for symbolic messaging gained higher interest than MST and awareness devices, and long-distance relationships were seen as the most likely scenario for using AHDs. Bi-directionality, synchronicity, and symmetry were regarded as important features for providing shared meaning and a sense of connectedness. Reviewability, multimodality, and actuation type were also deemed important. Limitations of the study and implications for the design of AHDs are discussed.

Towards high performance and durable soft tactile actuators

“…They This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024 display remarkable sensitivity to high-frequency vibrations, extending up to 1000 Hz (most sensitive between 200 and 300 Hz), 30,33 and can detect vibrations at the nanometer scale (approximately 10 nm in amplitude) at 200 Hz. 1 RA2 afferents enable responses to distant events through transmitted vibrations. 27 This vibratory sensation proves vital for tool utilization; for instance, when writing with a pen, vibrations from the pen tip are transmitted along the pen body and are detected by RA2 afferents to perceive the paper texture.…”

“…The importance of tactile sensations became more apparent after the COVID-19 pandemic, as touch plays a vital role in social and emotional communication. 1 Recognizing the significance of touch, there is a growing interest in developing devices that provide tactile feedback, going beyond typical audio and visual cues to convey information. However, many of these devices use rigid tactile actuators.…”

Recent Developments in Haptic Devices Designed for Hearing-Impaired People: A Literature Review

“…Haptic devices focus on tactile communication to transmit information, and these forms of information communication include the use of pressure, vibrations, and temperature [ 15 ]. In general, haptic devices work with the skin (the body’s largest sensory organ), the musculoskeletal system, and other tissues.…”

“…Specifically, the skin plays a critical role in perceiving and interacting with the environment [ 16 ]. Moreover, touch is an important aspect for human development [ 15 ].…”