Hey Haptics Industry Insider,
Welcome to the latest edition of All Things Haptics Newsletter. Spring has officially sprung! As nature reawakens with vibrant blossoms, the world of haptics, too, is buzzing with innovation and excitement.
This month has been particularly vibrant, and we have heavy-hitter news, including the ominous report on VR Gloves vs. Controllers, Meta making commitments to marketing peripherals, and some new tech. We’ve also got a throwback of some fun haptics news from 2018 as a reminder of how the industry is making moves over time. And we wouldn’t leave you hanging on resources, including reports, funky tech and event coverage.
Let’s jump right into the haptics news!
The Latest Buzz
🚨bHaptics is now made for Meta - You likely noticed all the Meta creators promoting "Made for Meta" on social media. That title is now being given to products that “demonstrate outstanding quality and compatibility in the Meta-led XR ecosystem,” including the bHaptics vest. Meta also announced they’re opening up the Meta Quest OS to third-party hardware makers. (Mixed Reality News)
💻 MSI’s Flaghship Haptics - The MSI Titan 18 HX gaming laptop is being touted as the “World’s First Seamless RGB Haptic Touchpad” that “elevates gaming experiences with advanced haptic feedback.” It’s rocking a 14th Gen Intel Core i9 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. (Geek Culture)
🤳 Smartphone Buzz - Samsung ranked the top seller among smartphone manufacturers in the first quarter of 2024, edging out Apple. (ZDnet)
🎮 Razer’s New Mobile Gaming Controller - The Kishi Ultra is a new mobile gaming controller by Razer that is designed to expand to fit different form factors (phone and tablet). It is touted as “God Tier,” so it better solve all my hopes and dreams, gaming or otherwise. (The Verge)
👎 The Anti-Haptics Editorial - A BGR contributor wrote an editorial on how he changed one Apple watch setting to improve his anxiety. (BGR)
🚖 The Future of Transportation and Haptic Technology at SXSW - A talk on the current state of ride services and how apps like HapticNav can help users navigate without screens or sound. (YouTube)
🧰 Ultraleap’s new Haptic Development Kit - The Ultraleap Haptics Development Kit has been designed to enable professionals in research and design to harness the potential of ultrasonic mid-air haptics. (X / Ultraleap)
⌨️ Gboard Haptics Go 0 to 100% Real Quick - Android 14 QPR3 introduces a system-level toggle for "Keyboard vibration" that replaces the Gboard setting, allowing users to control the intensity of keypress vibrations. (9 to 5 Google)
🎟 Jessie Ware’s Haptic Concert Experience - At her Mighty Hoopla Festival set in London, the singer debuted 5G-enabled haptic suits with Vodafone, allowing wearers to feel a multi-sensory music experience through vibration. (Yahoo)
🦾 AI Haptic Compass - Design offices Modem and Panter&Tourron's TERRA is a screen-less AI compass that uses haptic feedback to guide users on personalized outdoor adventures. (Tech Radar)
💍 Apple Ring? A new patent, spotted by Apple Insider, outlines how sensors could be worn on the fingers for better hand detection in headsets like the Vision Pro, and a couple of these examples include rings. (Yahoo)
🍏 Haptic Feature to Not Overlook from iOS 17.4 - Apple’s new iOS 17.2 introduces the option for iPhone users to customize default notification sounds and haptics, where users can select new tones and create custom vibrations. (Cnet)
🚂 Choo Choo Choose Haptics - BNSF Railway announced the integration of VR/AR/MR technologies into its mechanical training programs to enhance safety and improve workforce preparedness. (Auganix)
🦾 Boston Dynamics’ New Robot has Haptics? - There’s a rumor going around that Boston Dynamics' new Atlas robot has haptics. It is, in fact, the first robot to provide reverse haptics, which means your knees shake in its presence. I kid, I kid! (YouTube)
Throwback News
A look back in time by exploring retro haptics news from 2018.
❗ January 2018 - Pornhub's Launching its own line of Interactive Sex Toys. (Yahoo)
📱 March 2018 - Demand good vibrations from your next Android phone - The V30 and V30S are “reactive and physical to use in a way that almost no other Android phones are, thanks to their best-in-class haptic feedback system.” (The Verge)
🦺 April 2018 - Disney ‘Force Jacket’ Research Prototype Lets You Feel Punches or Hugs. (Variety)
📰 April 2018 - Retro Haptics Review Exploring Milestones in Tactile Technology. (Phys)
🥽 April 2018 - Haptic Links: Bimanual Haptics for Virtual Reality Using Variable Stiffness Actuation. (Microsoft)
🚗 September 2018 - Apple Patended Haptic Seats and Sunroof - Apple filed to patent more than 2,000 ideas last year, but automobile patents were becoming more common from the technology giant. Note: RIP Apple car. (Motor Authority)
🔮 December 2018 - Here’s What the Future of Haptic Technology Looks Like - A look at the future of haptics tech, according to geeks at Smithsonian Magazine. (Smithsonian Mag)
Resources
🚀 The Haptics Industry Surges Ahead - A report on the haptics industry market which is set to surpass USD 5.33 Billion with a CAGR of 3.6% by 2031. (Whatech)
📅 Miss the IEEE Haptics Symposium? - A summary of some of the most notable keynotes, presentations, and funky demos. (TITAN Haptics)
⚔️ The Great Debate is Over Gloves versus Controllers - A report on the effect of VR gloves and controllers on presence, embodiment, and cognitive absorption. (Frontiers)
🧽Squishy Marshmellow Feeling - The Softness Rendering Interface (SORI) developed by the Robotics Lab in EPFL’s School is said to be able to reproduce the softness of various materials, like marshmallows and avocados. (Inceptive Mind)
💾 Discover Hapticons - A paper on dynamic tactile icons designed through a software tool in an effort to “revolutionize communication via touch.” (Academia)
📊Design of a haptic data visualization system for people with visual impairments. (Academia)
🕸Hlyphs, aka Haptic Glyphs - A paper on structured haptic objects for haptic visualization. (Academia)
🥊Huawei’s Guide to Haptics - Like Fight Club, there are minimal rules, with the first being “Do not overuse vibration feedback.” (Huawei Developer)
🚪 Handle with Care - A new robotic system developed by international researchers enables realistic haptic feedback from door handles in virtual reality, while also guiding users away from physical obstacles for enhanced safety and immersion. (Hackster)
That’s it for now!
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Yours truly,
Ashley Huffman
aka The Queen of Haptics
Co-founder of Haptics Club Podcast
Strategic Partnerships at TITAN Haptics