Practical insights

Practical insights 2 min

Active and passive forms of touch 2 min

Scientists make a distinction between active and passive touch⁹⁵. In active touch, we move our hands or bodies to explore and manipulate objects; think of running your fingertips over a fabric to feel its texture. By contrast, passive touch occurs when an external stimulus is applied to us without our involvement, such as a spider running across our skin. Both forms of touch contribute to our overall tactile experience but they engage different cognitive and motor processes.

Temperature 2 min

Temperature can be a powerful cue for enhancing immersion in a virtual scene. For example, Peltier cooling elements (which use an electric current to generate localised cooling as well as heating) added to a VR headset significantly enhanced presence in scenes depicting snow-covered mountains and desert canyons⁹⁶.

Localisation 2 min

Touch works together with proprioception (our sense of body position; see later section Proprioception and body map) and the vestibular system (which contributes cues relating to gravity and movement) to help us identify where on our bodies we're being touched.

Social touch 1 min

Touch can carry significant emotional weight^98,97. For example, hugs, handshakes and gentle pats on the back can all communicate comfort or camaraderie. However, replicating these nuanced social touches digitally remains a significant challenge.

Current technical challenges 1 min

There are significant limitations with existing haptic technologies. Many wearable systems like suits and vests are bulky, restrictive and can cause discomfort or fatigue, potentially breaking immersion rather than enhancing it. Additionally, the sensations generated by many devices remain relatively crude, often relying on basic vibrations that lack the nuance of real-world tactile experiences, though user imagination can partially bridge this gap (see the earlier section on Perceptual 'filling in'). Technical complexities also pose a major challenge, particularly achieving the precise, real-time synchronisation needed between haptic feedback and corresponding visual or auditory events; any noticeable lag or mismatch can disrupt the sense of realism more severely than omitting haptics altogether (see also the earlier section on Tolerance of spatial mismatches).