Haptic technology

Published: 2025-09-09, Modified: 2025-11-24, T.N.

What is Haptics? Exploring the Technology of Touch

Haptics, or haptic technology, is a general term for technologies that engage our sense of touch, one of the five human senses, by providing tactile feedback such as vibrations and forces to the user. This technology allows us to experience on-screen events more realistically and enables more intuitive control. The most common examples are the vibrations from a smartphone for an incoming call or the rumbling of a game controller that corresponds to in-game action.

Core Principles and Methods of Haptics

While there are several methods for generating tactile feedback, here we introduce three of the most prominent techniques.

1. Vibrotactile Feedback

This is the most widely used method, employing actuators like motors or piezoelectric elements to transmit vibrations directly to the skin, thereby creating a sensation of touch. Its popularity stems from its simple structure, ease of miniaturization, and low-cost implementation.

2. Force Feedback/Kinesthetic Sensation

This method provides a sense of an object's weight, hardness, or resistance by applying a counter-force to the user's movements. It is utilized in applications such as surgical training simulators to create a highly realistic and immersive experience.

3. Electrostatic Haptics

By generating a weak electrostatic field on a surface like a display, this technique modulates the frictional forces between the surface and the user's fingertip. This allows it to simulate a wide range of surface textures, such as roughness or smoothness.

Expanding Applications for Haptic Technology

Haptic technology holds great promise not only in the entertainment industry but also as a key technology for solving societal challenges.

Tactile Support for the Visually Impaired

Haptics can significantly improve information accessibility for individuals with visual impairments by converting visual information into tactile sensations.

Tactile Displays: These devices render on-screen shapes, graphs, and maps three-dimensionally using an array of micro-pins or piezoelectric elements. Users can then recognize the information by touching the surface, allowing them to intuitively grasp visual data that was previously difficult to convey.
Mobility Support and Navigation: By embedding vibrating elements into white canes or wearable devices, these systems can indicate the direction of travel or the location of obstacles through different vibration patterns and directions, supporting safer navigation.

Crafting Future Experiences with Haptics: A Demonstration at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai

Haptic technology holds immense potential not only in the medical and welfare fields but also for the future of communication and entertainment. Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai is a focal point for experiencing this cutting-edge technology. At the "Future Healthcare" showcase, Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. plans to demonstrate the advanced 3D haptic technology of its group company, MIRAISENS, Inc.

This technology uses a special device that, when touched, generates specific vibrations and patterns of skin deformation. This realistically recreates the feeling of pressure, texture, and resistance of an object, making it feel as if it were actually there. Visitors will be able to touch virtual objects directly and feel their texture, providing an unprecedented and highly immersive experience.

Matsusada Precision's Technology: Powering Cutting-Edge Research

For high-definition and highly responsive haptics--especially in the development of high-resolution tactile displays for the visually impaired--the key to unlocking maximum performance lies in driving the piezoelectric elements, the source of vibration, with exceptional speed and precision.

Controlling a large number of piezoelectric elements individually requires an amplifier that can output the intended waveforms with high fidelity. Leveraging decades of expertise in advanced power supply technology, Matsusada Precision provides powerful support for haptics research and development.

Piezoelectric Elements (Piezo Actuators):

Matsusada Precision's PZA and PZ series of piezo actuators have been adopted in haptics research and development at leading institutions such as Nagoya Institute of Technology and Tohoku University.

Nagoya Institute of Technology: " Possibility of Tactile Sensitivity Change by Manipulation of Skin Vibration Propagation "
Piezo Actuator Used: PZA12-6
Tohoku University: " Dependence of the Perceptual Discrimination of High-Frequency Vibrations on the Envelope and Intensity of Waveforms "
Piezo Actuator Used: PZ12-112

Piezo Drivers (High Voltage Amplifiers):

Our piezo drivers deliver the wide bandwidth and high slew rate required for high-speed piezo element operation. Thanks to their high-speed response, they can faithfully reproduce complex and delicate vibrations.

DC Power Supplies & Bipolar Power Supplies:

These power supplies ensure system reliability by providing a stable, low-noise output. Our DC power supplies, such as the R4K-80 utilized in research at The University of Electro-Communications, demonstrate excellent performance even in demanding motor-driven applications.

The University of Electro-Communications: " Vibrotactile and Pseudo-Force Sensation Display Using Motor Rotational Acceleration "
DC Power Supply Used: R4K-80

At Matsusada Precision, we continue to deliver compact, high-performance products built on the foundation of Japanese quality and reliability.

If you are developing haptic devices or any application using piezoelectric elements and require precision high voltage power supply, high voltage amplifier, or DC power supply, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can propose the optimal solution tailored to your specifications and also accommodate custom requests. Let Matsusada Precision be your partner in accelerating your research and development.

Related words:

Fundamentals/General Terms