haptics

[ hap-tiks ]

noun

, (used with a singular verb)

1. the branch of psychology that investigates sensory data and sensation derived from the sense of touch and localized on the skin.
2. Digital Technology. the study or use of tactile sensations and the sense of touch as a method of interacting with computers and electronic devices:

   Haptics allows you to feel and manipulate digitized objects in a virtual 3D environment.

Other Words From

• haptic hapti·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of haptics¹

First recorded in 1890–95; haptic; -ics

Example Sentences

The combination of visuals and the audio and the haptics of the seats — all of those things were brought to bear to try and basically turn on its head the whole idea of suspension of disbelief, so that you’re having to remind yourself that it’s not real, as opposed to pretending that it is.

From Los Angeles Times

With two concerts over this past weekend, the Eagles became the fourth act to play this state-of-the-art venue — after U2, Phish and Dead & Company — just behind the Venetian resort on the Las Vegas Strip; by now you’ve heard about Sphere’s 160,000-square-foot video screen and about its seatback haptics and about the $2 billion the building’s mastermind, Madison Square Garden Entertainment Chief Executive James Dolan, spent to bring it all to life almost exactly a year ago.

From Los Angeles Times

Their discovery that simple stitch patterning can alter a fabric's elasticity points to knitting's potential for cutting-edge interactive technologies like soft robotics, wearables, and haptics.

From Science Daily

The venue’s sound system was just as impressive, with a finely detailed mix and seatback haptics that allowed you literally to feel the oomph of bassist Mike Gordon’s low notes.

From Los Angeles Times

Implementing this seemingly menial task in the virtual world means recreating the haptics of grasping a doorknob whilst simultaneously preventing users from walking into actual walls in their surrounding areas.

From Science Daily