Apple added haptic keyboard functionality to its groundbreaking iPhone with the release of iOS 16. While it’s not the first device to feature haptic feedback, Apple’s high design standards and widespread popularity mean more people than ever have the option of using haptic technology with their smartphones.
Said, What like that Touch technology on iPhone devices? So what are they designed for?
What is Haptic Feedback?
Haptic feedback (also called haptic feedback) is a technology term that uses physical responses (usually a vibration pattern) to indicate a specific effect or function in an interactive device. Most people are familiar with the “vibrate” feature on their cell phones or smartphones.
But haptic feedback takes this one step further.
Instead of a series of vibration patterns that notify the user of incoming calls, new voice messages or texts, haptic feedback occurs in the form of gentler vibrations when the user touches the phone screen.
Haptic feedback also varies depending on the specific function being replaced, improving user interactions. This may start with a small vibration as the user types and can vary in intensity or duration depending on the task.
A Brief Look at Haptic Feedback on Smartphones
Samsung first launched a haptic mobile phone in 2008. The phone, called Anycall Haptic, had a large touch screen, just like the iPhone. But it made Apple’s revolutionary gadget even better: It allowed users to feel clicks, vibrations and other haptic feedback.
In total, it added 22 types of vibration patterns to user interaction.
As with all consumer technologies, the race for market share is always on. Many mobile phone companies have jumped on the haptic bandwagon, including LG, OnePlus, Google Pixel, and Samsung. Improving user experience is a seemingly never-ending grind, so even more options are likely to emerge.
Where Does the Word ‘Tactile’ Come From?
Haptic is of Greek origin haptesthaimeans to touch. As an adjective it means pertaining to or based on the sense of touch. As a noun often used in the plural form (tactile), it refers to the science and physiology of the sense of touch.
How Does Haptic Feedback Work on iPhones?
The iPhone’s haptics are relatively simple from a technological standpoint. A small motor in the body of the phone provides the vibration pattern. This is controlled by software, which allows the user to turn haptic feedback on or off depending on their preference.
One notable drawback relates to battery life. Battery energy is required to provide haptic responses because the small motor must be started each time the haptic feedback is changed. If you prefer the tactile feel every time you use the keyboard, you may find that your battery life is shorter.
However, disabling the haptic feature is an option. It’s probably a good idea to try haptic feedback first and decide if that’s the kind of thing you want in your phone experience.
How to Examine Haptic Feedback?
Scientists have been studying tactile science for decades and know a great deal about the biology of touch. For example, they know what types of receptors are in the skin and how nerves carry information back and forth between the central nervous system and the point of contact.
Haptics as a field of study closely parallels the rise and evolution of automation. Before the industrial revolution, scientists focused on how living things experienced touch. Biologists have learned that even simple organisms like jellyfish and worms have sophisticated tactile feedback systems.
In the early 20th century, psychologists and medical researchers actively investigated how people experience touch. Accordingly, this branch of science became known as human haptics, and it became clear that the human hand, the basic structure associated with the sense of touch, is extraordinarily complex.
Haptic Feedback in Virtual Reality
Computer scientists have had great difficulty transferring the basic understanding of touch to virtual reality and augmented reality systems. Visual and auditory cues are easy to replicate in computer-generated models, but tactile sensations are more problematic.
It’s nearly impossible to get a user to sense what’s going on inside the computer’s mind through a typical interface. Of course, keyboards allow users to type words, and joysticks and steering wheels can vibrate. So how can a user touch virtual objects inside the virtual world?
For example, how can a video game player feel the hard, cold steel of his character’s weapon? How can an astronaut trained in a computer simulator feel the weight and rough texture of a virtual moon rock?
Computer scientists have been trying to answer these questions since the 1980s. Their fields are a special haptic subset known as computer haptics. While far from full virtual reality, recent VR interfaces have made advances in haptic feedback.
Helping Blind and Low Vision People Feel the City
Computer scientists in Greece are incorporating haptic feedback as accessibility features in touch maps for visually impaired people. To create a map, researchers take video of a real-world location, such as an architectural model of a building or a city block.
The software evaluates the video frame by frame to determine the shape and position of each object. The data results in a three-dimensional force field grid for each structure.
Using wearable technology that includes a haptic interface device, a blind person can feel these as tactile sensations and, combined with audio cues, get a much better idea of the layout of a city or building.
The Importance of Haptic Technology
The addition of haptic feedback in video games is a good thing. It increases the realism of the game and ultimately improves user interactions. But in education and other applications, haptic interfaces are vital. Because the sense of touch conveys rich and detailed information about an object.
When combined with other senses, especially vision, tactile feedback significantly increases the amount of information sent to the brain for processing.
By offering “tactile confirmation”, the user is provided with increased information. This reduces user error and the time required to complete a task.
Original article: What is Touch on iPhone Devices and Why Do They Exist?
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