Carnegie Mellon University researchers recently developed a unique device that enables users not only to touch virtual objects, but to reach in and manipulate them in 3D. The system is based on Lorentz force magnetic levitation, and basically consists of a bowl-shaped floating element with six levitation coils surrounded by strong, permanent magnets. The user grasps a levitated tool handle to interact with computed environments. The dynamics of the handle are controlled so that the user feels the motion, shape, resistance, and surface texture of simulated objects. This system completely eliminates the bulky links, cables and mechanisms of current haptic interfaces in favor of a single lightweight moving part.
Another interesting new concept in visual/haptic interfaces conceived at CMU is WYSIWYF display, meaning "What You See Is What You Feel". The proposed concept is a combination of vision-based object registration for the visual interface and encountered-type display for the haptic interface.

Haptic interface research at University of Colorado has a goal to demonstrate that a user's ability to interpret large multi-dimensional volumes of data can be enhanced through the addition of haptic exploration of the data to the conventional visual only exploration. Their device has a five degree-of-freedom, with a stylist grip connected to actuator/sensor modules by hollow steel rods, presenting the user with a multitude of haptic rendering modes.

Researchers at the Laboratory for Human and Machine Haptics (less formally known as the Touch Lab) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology employ a variety of methods to look for the general principles that humans and machines use to explore, represent, and interact with objects. Researchers are conducting studies on the human perception of computer-generated virtual objects under purely haptic and multisensory conditions. These studies resulted in several interesting applications: for example, permits the mapping of a shape or texture onto a polygon, so that they may be used in haptic rendering in the same way that texture mapping and color shading are used in graphics rendering.

Virtual Space Exploration Lab at Center for Design Research, Stanford University, has a primary focus of studying the design process and methods in practice, often employing telepresence technologies in its exploration of human-machine interaction. One of their projects explores the design and implementation of computer generated entities know as Virtual Fixtures composed of visual, haptic, and auditory sensations. Such fixtures are overlaid on top of the sensory feedback from a remote telepresence worksite and serve as perceptual aids for task performance. Virtual Grasp project, on the other hand, is an extension of the VirtualHand model to enable force closure and contact control of 3D virtual objects for dexterous manipulation.

Haptic interfaces can often prove very valuable for the blind persons. One study at University of Hertfordshire, Haptic Virtual Reality for blind computer users, involved a haptic device that can display virtual 3-dimensional objects and textures. The main tasks were to assess the roughness of virtual textures, and the size and angle of virtual objects.

Haptic Exploration Laboratory at John Hopkins University works with both robotic haptics and human-machine haptic interfaces. One research thrust is focused on developing new finger designs and algorithms for autonomous haptic exploration. In another research area, haptic interfaces are used to add the sense of touch to virtual environments. There are many applications of this technology, including computer-assisted and simulated surgery, autonomous exploration of hazardous or remote environments, undersea salvage, enabling technologies, and manufacturing and design. This Lab is working together with Engineering Research Center for Computer-Integrated Surgical Systems and Technology on a surgical simulation and surgical teleoperation. Surgeon using a haptic interface doesn't have to give up control to the computer. Instead, he is feeling exactly what the robot is feeling, resulting in a greater precision and increased safety.

Researchers at University of British Columbia have developed two planar haptic devices based on Hayward's Pantograph mechanical design and custom control software. One has 2 degrees of freedom in the plane and the other has 3 DOF. They are also experimenting with whole hand interaction using a CyberTouch from Virtual Technologies Inc.

There are numerous examples of successful commercial applications of this technology. One of the best known, Immersion TouchSense technology is licensed to hardware manufacturers like Microsoft, Logitech, InterAct, Kensington, and many others. Immersion Desktop lets you customize the way your computer desktop feels to fully support the haptic interaction with the user. You can make the edge of a window border feel like a groove carved in the desktop, the thumb of a scrollbar feel like it is spring-loaded, icons feel like they have mass as you move them, etc. Immersion Desktop ships with every TouchSense pointing product (mice, trackballs, etc.) and works automatically with all Windows applications and Web pages. Developers will also appreciate the Immersion Studio, a graphical development environment that simplifies the entire force feedback development process for the programmer - from design to implementation. Other companies like Virtual Technologies, Inc. and SensAble Technologies, Inc. offer equally impressive force-feedback and real-time 3D-interaction technologies for mechanical-CAD evaluation, simulation-based training and 3D e-commerce.

One of the funniest applications of this technology is known as a virtual or distance sex. Rumors about related products appear from time to time, and the recent article from New Scientist magazine reports on a bizarre invention: "Dominic Choy of Cammeray, New South Wales, wants to replace real sex with an online robotic experience. He proposes a lifelike flexible mannequin covered with imitation skin (WO 0059581). Servo motors move its limbs and other body parts in response to control signals both from the Internet and from touch and sound sensors on its body. Two people with matching mannequins connect over the Internet, wearing virtual-reality visors so they can see and hear each other..." This time I would recommend the real thing over the "online robotic experience", but tastes are different, and we may see such products sooner than expected.

Haptics Community Web Page is probably the best source of information for people wanting to learn more on this topic. It offers a searchable database of researchers in the haptics community, introductory materials, a collection of papers and dissertations involving haptic display and related research, pointers to other haptics sites around the world, a bulletin board and more.