Haptic Pointing Device

An input device that combines the pointing functionality of a mouse or stylus with the ability to generate physical forces that the user can feel through their hand. Unlike a standard mouse that provides no tactile information about screen content, a haptic pointing device can push, pull, or resist the user's hand movements to convey the presence and boundaries of on-screen objects. In accessibility contexts, haptic pointing devices enable blind users to perceive the spatial layout of graphical user interfaces through touch — feeling the edges of windows, the locations of icons, and the boundaries of menus — rather than relying solely on sequential audio descriptions. Examples include pantograph devices, the PHANToM haptic interface, and various force-feedback mice.