Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Computer Science & Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 3724

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Information and Electronic Engineering, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: haptics; computer networks; IoT
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on "Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications" aims to explore the latest advancements and innovative approaches in the field of haptic systems and the Tactile Internet. This Special Issue seeks to address various aspects of haptic technology and the Tactile Internet, including design methodologies, sensor technologies, communication protocols, and application scenarios. It aims to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to exchange ideas, share insights, and discuss emerging trends in the design, implementation, and utilization of haptic systems and the Tactile Internet. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: haptics in virtual reality, augmented reality, healthcare applications, gaming, rehabilitation, human–computer interaction, assistive technology, haptics for visually impaired people, haptics for people with fine motor problems, haptics for education and training, haptic interaction design guidelines, haptic interfaces for accessibility, haptic communication and teleoperation, haptic perception and psychophysics, haptic feedback in human–computer interactions, wearable haptic devices, and haptic rendering algorithms. Through this Special Issue, we aim to advance the state-of-the-art in haptic systems and pave the way for their widespread adoption across various domains.

Dr. George Kokkonis
Prof. Dr. Konstantinos E. Psannis
Dr. Sotirios Kontogiannis
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • haptics
  • human–computer interaction
  • tactile internet
  • haptic feedback
  • tangible interfaces
  • haptic interfaces
  • virtual reality

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 21667 KiB  
Article
MateREAL Touch: Handheld Haptic Texture Display with Real Rolling Materials
by Katsuya Maezono, Hikaru Nagano, Yuichi Tazaki and Yasuyoshi Yokokohji
Electronics 2025, 14(7), 1250; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14071250 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 218
Abstract
This paper presents the development of “MateREAL Touch”, a tactile display system that reproduces the sensation of stroking various material textures. The system can store up to 30 samples of material, which are connected via a continuous piece of tape. When not touching, [...] Read more.
This paper presents the development of “MateREAL Touch”, a tactile display system that reproduces the sensation of stroking various material textures. The system can store up to 30 samples of material, which are connected via a continuous piece of tape. When not touching, the material switches seamlessly, and the tape moves in sync with the user’s finger, dynamically replicating the feeling of stroking. Additionally, the device simulates transitions between contact and non-contact states by adjusting the grip mechanism based on virtual interactions. As fundamental performance assessments, the material’s switching time was measured. In addition, a discrimination task compared users’ ability to distinguish eight materials under static and dynamic touch conditions in both real and virtual environments. The results showed comparable discrimination accuracy, demonstrating the effectiveness of the system in reproducing real-world material textures in VR. These findings confirm the system’s ability to enable realistic texture perception in virtual environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications)
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14 pages, 966 KiB  
Article
Stiffness Perception Analysis in Haptic Teleoperation with Imperfect Communication Network
by Yonghyun Park, Chanyoung Ju and Hyoung Il Son
Electronics 2025, 14(4), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14040792 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Incomplete communication networks (e.g., time delay and packet loss/switching) in haptic interaction and remote teleoperation systems can degrade both user performance and system stability. In this study, we hypothesized that human operator performance would decrease monotonically as network imperfections worsened. To test this [...] Read more.
Incomplete communication networks (e.g., time delay and packet loss/switching) in haptic interaction and remote teleoperation systems can degrade both user performance and system stability. In this study, we hypothesized that human operator performance would decrease monotonically as network imperfections worsened. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two psychophysical experiments measuring the just-noticeable difference (JND), point of subjective equality (PSE), and perception time under varying conditions of packet separation time and packet loss. Our findings show that increasing packet separation time significantly elevated both JND and PSE, indicating a poorer discrimination ability and a systematic bias toward perceiving the environment as stiffer. By contrast, packet loss rates of up to 75% had no significant impact on perceptual performance, suggesting that, at sufficiently high sampling rates, human operators can compensate for substantial data loss. Overall, the results underscore that packet separation time, rather than packet loss, is the dominant factor affecting perceptual performance in haptic teleoperation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications)
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19 pages, 4915 KiB  
Article
Tele Haptic Handshake Using Distributed Pressure Presentation Device and Mutual Interaction Pressure Model
by Shun Watatani, Hikaru Nagano, Yuichi Tazaki and Yasuyoshi Yokokohji
Electronics 2025, 14(3), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14030537 - 28 Jan 2025
Viewed by 598
Abstract
This study investigates the mutual interaction between self- and partner-induced actions in determining pressure distribution during a handshake and proposes a tele haptic handshake system based on these findings. To achieve this, experiments were conducted to examine how pressure distribution in face-to-face handshakes [...] Read more.
This study investigates the mutual interaction between self- and partner-induced actions in determining pressure distribution during a handshake and proposes a tele haptic handshake system based on these findings. To achieve this, experiments were conducted to examine how pressure distribution in face-to-face handshakes is influenced by mutual actions. Based on the experimental results, an interaction force model was developed to calculate stimulus intensities, incorporating region-specific weights for different parts of the hand. Additionally, a tele haptic handshake system was designed, integrating flex sensors to measure finger joint angles and a distributed haptic stimulus presentation device to provide tactile feedback. While this study lays the foundation for understanding the dynamics of handshake interactions and their application in remote environments, further validation of the system’s effectiveness in replicating real-world handshake experiences remains a subject for future work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications)
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16 pages, 1345 KiB  
Article
A Haptic Braille Keyboard Layout for Smartphone Applications
by Georgios Voutsakelis, Nikolaos Tzimos, Georgios Kokkonis and Sotirios Kontogiannis
Electronics 2024, 13(12), 2408; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13122408 - 20 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1793
Abstract
Though most people are capable of performing many tasks regardless of cognitive or physical challenges, some individuals, especially those with visual impairments, must rely on others to perform even basic tasks. The chance of them interacting with a computing device is minimal, except [...] Read more.
Though most people are capable of performing many tasks regardless of cognitive or physical challenges, some individuals, especially those with visual impairments, must rely on others to perform even basic tasks. The chance of them interacting with a computing device is minimal, except for speech recognition technology, which is quite complicated. Additionally, it has become apparent that mainstream devices are gaining more acceptance among people with vision problems compared to traditional assistive devices. To address this, we developed the Haptic Braille Keyboard Android application to help vision-impaired users interact more easily with devices such as smartphones and tablets. The academic novelty of the application lies in its customization capabilities, which maximize the Quality of Experience for the user. The application allows users to place the Braille buttons in their desired layout for convenience. Users can move and position the virtual buttons on the screen to create a layout for text entry based on the Braille writing system. For this purpose, we conducted extensive testing and experimentation to determine which of the two commonly used Braille layouts is most user-friendly. This work can help visually impaired users interact with smartphones and tablets more easily and independently, making communication less challenging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptic Systems and the Tactile Internet: Design and Applications)
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