The group's research into the psychophysics of touch also provides information needed for designing better interfaces. For example, Touch Lab researchers have discovered the finest differences in texture and compliance that humans can discern, and how vision or sound affect touch perception. However, these offer very coarse, in some cases binary, feedback. Several other high-quality devices are being marketed by other companies. Potential applications One ideal application of the interface system would be training surgeons for minimally invasive surgery.
Training occurs on the job.
Such a system requires realistic models of tissues and organs, which Srinivasan's group is building now. Also, a haptic interface can be used in computer-aided design to allow assembly of items before a physical prototype is made. In a car engine, for example, the designer could find out whether a design allows enough room to change the oil filter much more easily using haptic displays than by purely graphical displays. In the long term, understanding how human touch works may advance the state of robotics. On the other hand, robotic hands can offer capabilities that human hands do not, such as the ability to withstand high temperatures, or fingers that rotate 360 deg.