A Wearable Closed-Loop Haptic System Based on Ultra Light-Weight Textiles

Advancements in haptic technology, such as electrical tactile stimulators, have opened up the possibility of not only reproducing artificial sounds for the ears but also delivering realistic tactile sensations to the skin. However, previously reported tactile feedback devices face several challenges due to the use of heavy and bulky actuators. These devices are often large, rigid, non-breathable, and encased in weighty packaging materials, resulting in discomfort and unstable sensations during prolonged wear. These issues hinder the integration of haptic systems over large areas of the body. To address these problems, we propose a new electrical haptic rendering system integrated with textiles, which offers higher resolution and faster response times while remaining lightweight and comfortable for the user. Inspired by everyday clothing, this system utilizes stretchy PU textiles to simulate a variety of tactile sensations, including touch, tickling, vibration, and rough textures. Garments covering significant portions of the body can provide consistent sensory feedback over the entire area and detect pressure across different body parts. This enables appropriate stimulus adjustments through a closed-loop control mechanism. This functionality not only holds potential for high-level medical services and data collection but also offers significant commercial value through the design of user-friendly wearable interfaces. This paper reports on an advanced wearable haptic system that provides enhanced user comfort, high resolution, and the ability to cover extensive areas of the body—features not found in previous studies.