Clicky Buttons, Tactile IP, and AI with Nerves

The latest edition of the All Things Haptics newsletter

Hey Haptic Industry Insider,

Welcome to the latest edition of All Things Haptics. This month I’ve rounded up the most interesting releases, product tweaks, research highlights, and patent activity across the haptics world

Sure, there's new and shiny, but there are also smaller updates that are worth paying attention to. From low-key product changes to thoughtful UX fixes and a stack of freshly published patents that suggest where things might be heading.

Let’s dive right in!

Things Worth Watching

🧠 Will AI Wake Up When It Can Feel a Slap? - Professors at Carnegie Mellon believe AI could one day become conscious by gaining sensory input like vision and tactile touch. (Yahoo)

🎥 More Wobble Seats - D-BOX and Cinemark announce expansion with the addition of over 70 haptic-enabled seats. (Global Newswire)

🪑 New Haptic Gaming Seat - The HF8 Pro is a new gaming cushion noting “over 200% increased torque, 400% more motor power, 60% faster motor RPM, and a new 75fps real-time haptics system.” (BoxThisLap)

🎵 Apple is Back at Haptics - Apple released a new commercial arounds its haptic music accessibility feature, noting users can “play the entire song via vibration or just the voice.” (Heise)

🔊 Marshall’s First Soundbar has Haptics - Marshall has installed three tactile dials for controlling volume, EQ and source. (TechRadar)

🚗 Volkswagen Brings Back the Click - Physical buttons return in the 2025 Tiguan, offering tactile feedback after user pushback on touch-only controls. (Road and Track)

📱 OnePlus Signals Haptic Ambition? - Leaked specs suggest a larger battery in the OnePlus 15, possibly to support stronger haptic output. (Phone Arena)

🔧 Android Beta Fixes the Feels - Google’s Android 16 Beta 4.1 addresses haptic feedback issues and battery drain on Pixel phones. (MSN)

🎮 Quieter Joy-Cons Ahead? - Leaked info on the Nintendo Switch 2 shows reduced vibration and sound from updated controllers. (Eteknix)

📉 Truly Bad AI Articles - There’s been a noticeable influx of AI-written pieces about haptics. Framed as deep insights, but mostly generic, surface-level noise. (You Know Who You Are)

Research and Prototypes

🎛️ Shape-Shifting Haptics for VR - Shiftly is a tactile VR controller that morphs in real time, offering new forms of physical feedback. (TecheBlog)

💊 Vibrating Capsule Makes It Through Trials - A swallowable vibrating device passes safety tests and may offer future treatment for GI issues. (Medical Express)

🗣️ AI Descriptions Need Better Touch - Tools meant to help people with low vision often focus on tech over real-world utility. (Phys)

🩺 Surgical Training Gets Haptic - New tools combining robotics and haptic feedback could improve both teaching and precision in surgery. (Frontiersin)

💼 DIY Haptic Alerts - One creative user rigged their VR vest to vibrate when their home server crashes. (XDA Developers)

🤖 Fine-Tuning the Robotic Touch - Haptics are helping robots move with greater accuracy and human-like finesse. (Hackster)

🌀 Swarm Robots with Haptic Smarts - AcoustoBots combine sound and movement for multi-modal interactions in groups. (Frontiers)

🔍 See-Through Piezo Haptics - A lead-free, transparent piezoelectric actuator could lead to more elegant touch tech. (Nature)

Patents

Links on sites like Google and USPTO expire due to token timeouts, so I’ve shared them in Dropbox as a temporary solution.

🍎 Apple:

• Headset with Haptics - Head-mounted display with haptic output. (Dropbox)

• Object Manipulation - Methods for interacting with virtual or augmented environments. (Dropbox)

🎮 Sony:

• Conversion Method - Describes a system for transforming input data, possibly for immersive media use. (Dropbox )

• Game Accessibility Overlay - Describes haptic feedback logic for players with impairments. (Dropbox)

🖲️Ericsson Button Patent - Mechanical switch paired with electromagnetic sensors and haptic feedback.(Dropbox)

📳 ResMed Haptic Alert for Headgear - Patent for a connector that uses haptics to alert users wearing medical devices. (Google Patents)

⚡Dielectric Elastomer Actuator - NTU patent for a flexible actuator that responds to electrical signals with tactile movement. (Dropbox)

⌚ Meta Wearable with Muscle Sensors - Detects neuromuscular signals to trigger actions in wearable haptic devices. (Dropbox)

🛌 DP Tech Sleep System - System for identifying and initiating optimal sleep phases using haptic cues. (Dropbox)

💬 Snap Patent on Real-Time Haptics - Combines audio and haptic feedback for real-time digital communication. (Dropbox)

✋Cirrus Logic Force Sensing - Details a method and system for detecting force input, possibly for handheld devices. (Dropbox)

💨 RAI Aerosol Delivery Device - Microfluidic system for delivering substances, includes physical actuation features. (Google Patent)

One Last Thing

Thanks again to all the faithful readers who enjoy this haptic round-up. Want to support the newsletter? Consider liking this post, sharing it with someone in your network or becoming a VIP subscriber or Patreon supporter.

I’m always open to tips, links or odd findings. Let’s keep the conversation going and support each other in the process.

Before you go, here’s a song on Spotify or YouTube that will hopefully keep you in that good summer mood.

Yours truly,

Ashley Huffman

Founder, All Things Haptics
Co-founder of Haptics Club Podcast
Partnerships at TITAN Haptics
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