A Touching Sensation

Abstract

This article discusses Haptics technology that is being used to train surgeons and rehabilitate patients. Haptics technology, a recent enhancement to virtual reality technology, gives users the touch and feel of simulated objects they interact with, usually through a device like a specialized mouse or a haptic glove. John Hollerbach, a computing professor and an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Utah, says haptic devices and robotic devices share the same drawbacks, particularly involving limits to the miniaturization of motors. Haptic devices that fit the hand, like the one sold by Immersion Corp., or the force-feedback glove developed at Rutgers give the wearer a sense of touch, as if one is squeezing a ball or tracing an object. Hollerbach of the University of Utah said the future looks bright for haptics. The Rutgers ankle simulates walking over several types of terrain for patients undergoing physical therapy. Haptics can simulate assembling a part to ensure that it is designed for easy construction.