Haptic Glove

A wearable device worn on the hand that provides tactile feedback through vibration motors, piezoelectric actuators, pin arrays, or other mechanisms embedded in the fingers and palm. In accessibility research, haptic gloves have been explored for several applications: enabling blind users to explore web page layouts and digital content through touch by attaching small Braille cells or pin matrices to fingertips; providing navigation guidance through directional vibrations on individual fingers; serving as input devices for people with motor disabilities who cannot use conventional keyboards or mice; and enabling deafblind communication through tactile patterns. Unlike screen-mounted haptic displays, gloves allow users to explore content on any flat surface (desk, table), potentially providing a larger and more natural work area. Most existing haptic glove designs originate from virtual reality research, but accessibility-focused designs prioritise tactile information delivery and sensory substitution over resistance and force feedback.