Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA) and University College London achieved simultaneous haptic feedback while manipulating a small box on a computer screen. Although thousands of miles apart, the individuals involved in the experiment were able to feel the force exerted by their transatlantic colleagues.
The long-distance touch involved a computer and a small robotic arm that takes the place of a mouse. A user manipulated the arm by clasping its end, which resembles a thick stylus. The overall system creates the sensation of touch by exerting a precisely controlled force on the user’s fingers. The arm, known as the Phantom, is made by SensAble Technologies Inc. (Woburn, MA). The researchers modified the software for the transatlantic application.