The advent of full-screen mobile phones means physical buttons are now becoming obsolete and new opportunities for the development of haptic technology are emerging. Mobile phone brands and app vendors can now develop all kinds of haptic experiences using existing haptic hardware. Haptic technology also has a lot to offer new VR and AR applications.

Touch is especially important in VR shooting games, where you can get real gravity feedback from shooting bullets in the shooting game. In addition, when walking on the street, the shoe has a built-in tactile feedback motor. The signal transmitted through the Bluetooth connection to the mobile phone can navigate for you and remind you to go straight or turn through the vibration. This can help the visually impaired people's ideas, and can also be used commercially by other consumers who do not want to get navigation information by looking at the mobile phone. If tactile feedback technology is applied to interactive clothing, there is a vibrating shirt that allows users with back problems to be reminded by vibration when they need to adjust their posture.


The latest developments mean that an actual sense of touch may not be essential for feedback. Such touch simulation technology is particularly important for VR. New ultrasound technology can now simulate button presses allowing equipment to be controlled by a wave of the hands without actually touching anything. Haptics also provide operators with the information that they need. Such ultrasound technology has been applied in the automotive industry to let the driver operate a flat panel display while concentrating on the road. A combination of ultrasound technology with ultra HD cameras and a VR head-worn device means touch can be transmitted across the world to let two people who are separated by long distances shake hands or hug each other. Surgeons and dentists can also use VR and haptics to simulate actual operations.


The success of haptic technology depends on the designers and developers’ understanding of how touch works then thinking long and hard about the accessibility of the technology. SUNNIC is the distributor for the NIDEC linear vibration motors, it provides solutions of haptic vibrations. For more information, please contact the SUNNIC product manager.