Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
22 results found in haptic technology.
- 2D Tactile Display (Two-Dimensional Tactile Display, Graphical Tactile Display)
- A type of tactile display that presents information across a two-dimensional surface, enabling blind and low vision users to access complex graphical data such as diagrams, charts, maps, and graphical…
- Dynamic Tactile Graphics (Interactive Tactile Graphics, Animated Tactile Graphics)
- Tactile representations of visual information that can change, move, or respond to user interaction in real time, as opposed to traditional static tactile graphics which are fixed once produced. Dynam…
- Electrotactile (Electrotactile Stimulation, Electrical Tactile Stimulation)
- A form of tactile feedback that applies controlled electrical current to stimulate touch nerve endings in the skin, creating sensations of pressure, tingling, or texture. Electrotactile displays can a…
- Electrotactile Feedback (Electrotactile, Electrical Tactile Stimulation)
- A form of haptic feedback that uses controlled electrical current applied directly to the skin or through a thin insulating layer to generate tactile sensations. Unlike vibrotactile feedback (which us…
- End Effector (Haptic Stylus, Haptic Pen)
- The physical component of a haptic device that the user directly touches or manipulates to interact with a virtual environment. In assistive technology contexts, end effectors translate digital inform…
- Force Feedback (Haptic Force Feedback, Kinesthetic Feedback)
- A type of haptic technology that applies physical forces to the user through a device such as a stylus, joystick, or glove, simulating the sensation of touching or interacting with virtual objects. Un…
- Free-Space Haptics (Mid-Air Haptics, Contactless Haptics)
- Haptic feedback technology that applies physical forces or tactile sensations to a user without requiring contact with a mechanical device or surface. Unlike traditional haptic systems that use physic…
- Haptic Communication (Social Haptics, Tactile Communication, Haptic Interaction)
- A method of conveying information through touch-based signals, vibrations, or physical patterns on the body. Haptic communication is particularly important for individuals with deafblindness or other …
- Haptic Feedback (Tactile Feedback, Haptics)
- Technology that communicates information through the sense of touch, using vibrations, pressure, or motion applied to the user's body. In accessibility, haptic feedback provides a non-visual, non-audi…
- Haptic Glove (Data Glove, Tactile Glove, Wearable Haptic Device)
- A wearable device worn on the hand that provides tactile feedback through vibration motors, piezoelectric actuators, pin arrays, or other mechanisms embedded in the fingers and palm. In accessibility …
- Music Haptics (Musical Haptics, Haptic Music)
- The use of touch-based feedback — including vibrations, textures, and force — to convey musical information such as pitch, tempo, timbre, articulation, dynamics, and rhythm. Music haptics draws on the…
- PHANTOM (PHANTOM Omni, PHANTOM Desktop, SensAble PHANTOM)
- A family of force-feedback haptic devices originally developed by SensAble Technologies (now part of 3D Systems). PHANTOM devices use a pen-like stylus that users grasp while motors apply forces to cr…
- Peltier Module (Peltier Device, Thermoelectric Module, TEC Module)
- A Peltier module is a thermoelectric device that creates a temperature difference when electrical current is applied, with one side heating up and the other cooling down. In assistive technology, flex…
- Pin Array Display (Pin Matrix Display, Tactile Pin Display)
- A type of tactile display technology that uses an array of individually controllable pins that can be raised or lowered to create tactile patterns, textures, and graphics. Pin array displays are used …
- Shape Display (2.5D Shape Display, Pin Display, Tactile Shape Display)
- A physical computing device consisting of a grid of motorised pins that can be raised and lowered to create dynamic tactile relief surfaces. Shape displays render digital 3D content as physical topogr…
- Tactile Display (Haptic Display)
- A device that presents information through the sense of touch, using raised elements, vibrations, or other tactile stimuli to convey data that would typically be presented visually. Tactile displays s…
- Thermotactile Feedback (Thermal Feedback, Thermal Haptic Feedback, Thermotactile Display)
- Thermotactile feedback is a form of haptic communication that conveys information through controlled temperature changes on the skin, using heating or cooling elements such as Peltier thermoelectric m…
- Trajectory Playback (Haptic Playback, Force-Guided Movement)
- A technique in haptic interfaces where a force-feedback device physically guides a user's hand through a predefined path or shape. The system applies forces to move the user along a trajectory, allowi…
- Two-Point Discrimination (Spatial Acuity, Tactile Acuity)
- A measure of tactile sensitivity indicating the minimum distance at which two distinct points of contact on the skin can be perceived as separate rather than as a single point. Lower values indicate h…
- Vibro-Audio (Vibrotactile Audio, Vibro-Tactile)
- Vibro-audio is a multimodal interaction technique that combines vibration feedback from a device's built-in motor with auditory cues to convey information non-visually. On touchscreen devices, vibro-a…