A Narrative Review of Haptic Technologies and Their Value for Training, Rehabilitation, and the Education of Persons with Special Needs

Abstract

Haptic technologies are increasingly valuable for human–computer interaction in its many flavors, including, of course, virtual reality systems, which are becoming very useful tools for education, training, and rehabilitation in many areas of medicine, engineering, and daily life. There is a broad spectrum of technologies and approaches that provide haptic stimuli, ranging from the well-known force feedback to subtile pseudo-haptics and visual haptics. Correspondingly, there is a broad spectrum of applications and system designs that include haptic technologies as a relevant component and interaction feature. Paramount is their use in training of medical procedures, but they appear in a plethora of systems deploying virtual reality applications. This narrative review covers the panorama of haptic devices and approaches and the most salient areas of application. Special emphasis is given to education of persons with special needs, aiming to foster the development of innovative systems and methods addressing the enhancement of the quality of life of this segment of the population.