Haptics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The study and design of touch-based communication between people and machines ; the vibrations and force feedback that devices use to simulate physical sensation
2. The field concerned with how touch can convey information and control systems ; the tactile responses built into screens and controllers to mimic feeling
3. The science of using the sense of touch in interfaces ; the technology that delivers pressure or vibration to a user so that digital actions feel physical

Etymology: Haptics is the study of touch, and its name comes from a single Greek word. Ancient Greek "haptesthai" meant "to touch" or "to lay hold of," and the adjective "haptikos" meant "able to touch." Modern English took the adjective "haptic" from that Greek root, and the noun "haptics" was formed from it by adding the suffix "-ics," the same ending found in words like "physics" and "acoustics" for a field of study. The pattern is a useful clue to what the word is doing. "Haptic" describes anything relating to touch, while "haptics" names the discipline that investigates it. The field has grown well beyond philosophy and psychology, because engineers now use haptic feedback in devices such as phone vibrations and surgical robots that let users feel forces they cannot see.

Synonyms: tactile sensing