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Next-Generation Haptic Technologies: Materials, Mechanisms, and Applications

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Wearables".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2026 | Viewed by 4769

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Interests: stretchable electronics; tactile technology; soft robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Electronic & Nanoscale Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Interests: energy harvesting; engineering education

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
Interests: wearable robotics; wearable sensors; robotic grasping and manipulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue entitled “Next-Generation Haptic Technologies: Materials, Mechanisms, and Applications” explores groundbreaking advancements in haptic systems, focusing on their core components—materials, mechanisms, and diverse applications. With the growing demand for immersive and interactive experiences across domains like virtual reality, robotics, medical simulation, and wearable technology, the development of innovative haptic technologies is more critical than ever.

This Special Issue encourages contributions that demonstrate novel material designs (e.g., soft, stretchable, and bio-inspired materials), advanced mechanisms for force and tactile feedback, and their integration into next-generation haptic devices. It emphasizes studies on adaptable systems that enhance user experiences through improved sensitivity, durability, and multifunctionality. Moreover, special topics in application areas may include education (e.g., haptics in experiential learning, vocational training, or tactile-based remote learning), healthcare (e.g., haptics for telesurgery, prosthetics, or remote physical therapy), or entertainment and gaming (e.g., how haptics can enhance experiences in VR, AR, and gaming environments).

Submissions are encouraged from fields including material science, biomedical engineering, robotics, and human–computer interaction, offering insights into cutting-edge research and practical applications. This Special Issue provides a platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to share findings that will shape the future of haptic technologies.

Dr. Haotian Chen
Prof. Dr. Rami Ghannam
Dr. Lucas Ferrari Gerez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sensors is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • haptic feedback
  • tactile sensing
  • stretchable electronics
  • soft robotics
  • virtual and augmented reality
  • wearable haptic devices
  • human–machine interfaces
  • biomedical applications of haptics

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2718 KB  
Article
Assessing Interstimulus Interval and Waveform Effects on Vibrotactile Pattern Recognition on the Forearm for Transfemoral Prosthetic Sensory Feedback
by Mohammadmahdi Karimi, Kristín Briem, Árni Kristjánsson, Sigurður Brynjólfsson and Runar Unnthorsson
Sensors 2026, 26(9), 2664; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26092664 - 25 Apr 2026
Viewed by 514
Abstract
Providing reliable sensory feedback is one of the most challenging aspects of transfemoral prosthetics, motivating the development of intuitive vibrotactile interfaces capable of conveying information about limb position in real-time. The aim of this study was to develop a vibrotactile feedback prototype and [...] Read more.
Providing reliable sensory feedback is one of the most challenging aspects of transfemoral prosthetics, motivating the development of intuitive vibrotactile interfaces capable of conveying information about limb position in real-time. The aim of this study was to develop a vibrotactile feedback prototype and examine which interstimulus intervals (ISIs) and vibration waveforms might best enhance recognition of sequential tactile patterns. The results will be used to inform the development of a prototype to be tested on participants with transfemoral amputation where prosthetic feedback is provided. A forearm-mounted six-actuator feedback system, encoding eight lower-limb configurations, was used in two experiments with healthy adults. Experiment 1 assessed recognition accuracy across ISIs from 10 to 110 ms, while Experiment 2 compared sinusoidal and square waveforms under matched conditions. Recognition accuracy was high across all tested conditions, with no significant effects of ISI (p = 0.79) or waveform type (p = 0.17). These results indicate that participants were able to interpret spatially distributed vibrotactile patterns even under rapid temporal sequencing and with differing signal shapes. The system therefore offers design flexibility for real-time prosthetic feedback, suggesting that fast update rates may be achievable without a statistically detectable reduction in perceptual clarity within the tested conditions. These findings provide practical guidance for developing robust, user-friendly sensory substitution systems intended to increase proprioceptive awareness in transfemoral prosthesis users. Full article
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12 pages, 506 KB  
Article
Validity and Reliability of a Smart Band for Monitoring Cardiorespiratory Parameters in Children and Adolescents with Severe Cerebral Palsy
by Angélica Guerrero-Blázquez, Ángela Concepción Álvarez-Melcón, José Javier López-Marcos, Patricia Martín-Casas, Adrián Arranz-Escudero and Rosa María Ortiz-Gutiérrez
Sensors 2026, 26(3), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26030828 - 27 Jan 2026
Viewed by 678
Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder frequently associated with respiratory and cardiac comorbidities, making the monitoring of heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) essential. This study examined the reliability and validity of Xiaomi Mi Band 6, compared with a clinical [...] Read more.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder frequently associated with respiratory and cardiac comorbidities, making the monitoring of heart rate (HR) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) essential. This study examined the reliability and validity of Xiaomi Mi Band 6, compared with a clinical pulse oximeter, for measuring HR and SpO2 in 35 children and adolescents with CP classified at GMFCS levels III–V. Mi Band 6 demonstrated good reliability for HR (ICC = 0.83), although the high measurement error (MDC90 = 19.57 bpm) limits its usefulness for small physiological changes. SpO2 results showed low reliability (ICC = 0.55) and substantial variability (MDC90 = 18.85%), exceeding the clinically acceptable error margin of ±2–3%. Validity analyses revealed poor agreement between Mi Band 6 and clinical pulse oximeter for SpO2, and moderate agreement for HR, with large variability in Bland–Altman analyses. Factors such involuntary movements, altered muscle tone, low body weight, and reflective sensors on the wrist may have affected the results. In conclusion, Xiaomi Mi Band 6 demonstrated good reliability and may be cautiously used for general HR monitoring, but it is not suitable for assessing SpO2 in this pediatric population. Further research is needed to identify cost-effective and accurate wearable technologies. Full article
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10 pages, 4672 KB  
Article
A Cost-Effective Method for the Spectral Calibration of Photoplethysmography Pulses: The Optimal Wavelengths for Heart Rate Monitoring
by Vinh Nguyen Du Le, Sophia Fronckowiak and Elizabeth Badolato
Sensors 2025, 25(7), 2311; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25072311 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 2766
Abstract
A photoplethysmography (PPG) pulse in reflection mode represents the change in diffuse reflectance at the skin surface during a cardiac cycle and is commonly used in wearable devices to monitor heart rate. Commercial PPG sensors often rely on the reflectance signal from light [...] Read more.
A photoplethysmography (PPG) pulse in reflection mode represents the change in diffuse reflectance at the skin surface during a cardiac cycle and is commonly used in wearable devices to monitor heart rate. Commercial PPG sensors often rely on the reflectance signal from light sources at two different wavelength regions, green, such as λ = 523 nm, and near infrared (NIR), such as λ = 945 nm. Early in vivo studies of wearable sensors showed that green light is more beneficial than NIR light in optimizing PPG sensitivity. This contradicts the common trends in the standard near infrared spectroscopy techniques, which rely on the long optical pathlengths at NIR wavelengths to achieve optimal depth sensitivity. To quantitatively analyze the spectral characteristics of PPG across the wavelength region of 500–900 nm in a controlled environment, this study performs the spectral measurement of PPG signals using a simple and cost-effective optical phantom model with two distinct layers and a customized diffuse reflectance spectroscopy system. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations are used to elaborate the underlying phenomena at the green and NIR wavelengths when considering different epithelial thicknesses and source–detector distances (SDD). Full article
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