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What are haptics? Karakuri of the technology used for PS5 and iPhone

Do you know a technique called haptics? This is a technology that gives the user vibration and feeds back the "feeling of actually touching something," like a game controller. Nowadays, people are becoming more sensitive to "touching" in the corona, and "aerial haptics (ultrasonic haptics)", which is a derivative technology of haptics, is also attracting attention. By using this technology, it is possible to create a three-dimensional object (for example, a switch or button) that feels in the air, so it may be a technology that solves the problem of Korona-ka who wants to reduce contact as much as possible. Here, we will explain how haptics technology works and how it is used.

Asami Yokoi

Asami Yokoi

Cornes Technology Electronic Device Sales Department Interactive Solutions Team

1. What is a haptic?
2. Areas of activity of haptics
3. Haptic examples: game consoles, hands-on theaters
4. What is ultrasonic haptics?
5. Areas of activity of ultrasonic haptics
6. Ultrasound Haptics Case Study (1): Automotive Industry
7. Ultrasound Haptics Case Study (2): Advertising Industry

What is a haptic?

Haptics are techniques that allow people to get tactile feedback by giving them vibration and movement. To make it easier to imagine what kind of technology it is, for example, haptics technology is also used for the home button of the iPhone. When you press the home button on your iPhone, you can feel as if the user is pressing the button with your finger, even though the physical button doesn't actually exist. This is due to haptics technology that gives users feel feedback. As you can see, haptics technology is already being used in familiar places, but what kind of mechanism is it? Haptic technologies are generally "contact type". The technology itself, which vibrates the part that is actually touched and gives it a realistic feel, has already been used for decades. For example, the "eccentric motor type (a technology that creates vibration by attaching a weight with an unbalanced center of gravity to the shaft of the motor and rotating it)", which has been widely used for vibration of mobile phones, and "the technology that realizes faster and more complicated haptics". Piezo type (piezoelectric material that expands and contracts when bent by applying voltage) "etc.

Areas of activity of haptics

Haptics are expected to play an active role in various fields. It is expected that content that will entertain users by adding a touch will appear. Utilization in the entertainment field will continue to expand in the future. Also, if you use a high-speed communication network such as 5G, you can talk with people who are far away by adding tactile sensation in the future for xR (which is a general term for VR, AR, MR, etc.) that allows two-way dialogue. Instead, it will be possible to realize xR in the true sense, which enables handshakes and high fives. Not only that, the use of haptics technology in telemedicine using robot hands is also being considered. It is expected to play an active role in the field of medical IT, as it leads to more accurate movement by giving tactile feedback to the operator, not just remote control.

Haptic examples: game consoles, hands-on theaters

An example of the use of haptics that has already appeared is the controller of a game console. By utilizing haptics technology, for example, it is possible to express the impact that occurs while playing a game, and the player can feel immersive. Specifically, haptics are used for PlayStation 5 (PS5 / PlayStation 5). Haptic technology is also used in the hands-on theater "MX4D" developed by MediaMation in the United States and developed by Sony Business Solutions. MX4D is a viewing service that stimulates the viewer's five senses by moving the seats in the audience seats, wind, scent, vibration, etc. according to the movie scene. Haptics are used to reproduce the vibrations and shocks that are expressed according to the movie scene.

What is ultrasonic haptics?

In addition to general haptics technology that presupposes "contact," there are also innovative technologies that realize "getting a feel without touching." That is the technology called "aerial haptics" patented by Ultraleap in the United Kingdom. This is a technology that makes it possible to create invisible virtual 3D shapes and feels in an empty space. How does this ultrasonic haptic work? In aerial haptics, devices called transducers that emit ultrasonic waves are arranged in an array, and by controlling the phase of the ultrasonic waves, the sound pressure is aggregated, and the hands are vibrated to convey the tactile sensation. Since the skin is vibrated to generate a tactile sensation, the toucher may feel the tactile sensation as if it were wind, but the shape itself can be clearly recognized. By moving the focal position where ultrasonic waves are concentrated at high speed, it is possible to express not only simple points and lines but also somewhat complicated 3D shapes. [Next page] Explains all the cases of "automobile industry" and "advertising industry", which are the areas where ultrasonic haptics are active.

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