The field of haptics is experiencing growth unlike ever before. The average haptic practitioner's background is shifting towards human-computer interaction, and UI/UX rather than the psychophysics or roboticist academic community. Additionally, the objectives of haptics research projects are slowly changing – rather than attempting to create or understand a particular stimulation/response, projects are focused on the creation of experiences and multisensory simulations. While the prevalence of haptic feedback in products and devices is increasing, these integrations rarely offer increased impact compared to previous generations. In this workshop, we will explore why lacking interdisciplinary collaboration in haptics experience design is holding the discipline back, and how to better integrate diverse perspectives to produce better research, consumer products, and artistic installations.

In this workshop, meet some of the artists, designers, and engineers collaborating to produce novel affective touch-based experiences. This half-day workshop will be made up of two parts, the first, a panel-based Q&A session will offer thought-provoking discussion from unique emerging perspectives in the haptic field. In the second half, explore some of the most pressing challenges within haptics from a new angle in breakout sessions designed to challenge existing ways of thinking and help participants see their own field in a new light.