FeelFields: Volumetric Touch for Sentient Haptic Interaction in True-3D Displays

Descripción del proyecto

Recrear sensaciones reales en pantallas holográficas

Los sistemas actuales de realidad extendida y visualización volumétrica permiten ver hologramas, pero para tocarlos es necesario utilizar mandos específicos o guantes hápticos. El uso de estos dispositivos interfiere en la experiencia intuitiva del usuario, algo muy importante en aplicaciones médicas, formativas y de diseño. El proyecto FeelFields, respaldado por las acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, tiene por objeto combinar la visualización de hologramas con sensaciones táctiles. Para ello, se desarrollará una pantalla háptica volumétrica en la que la proyección de hologramas en el aire estará sincronizada espacialmente con un sistema inalámbrico de retroalimentación táctil, de modo que los usuarios puedan ver y sentir objetos virtuales de forma natural con sus propias manos. La combinación del avanzado «hardware» Haptimesh con un modelo sensorial y computacional basado en inteligencia artificial permitirá reproducir sensaciones hápticas seguras, precisas y realistas en pantallas volumétricas.

Objetivo

The aim of FeelFields is to create the first co-registered volumetric haptic display that allows users not only to see holographic 3D objects in mid-air but also to physically feel them without wearing gloves or exoskeletons. By integrating novel hardware (HaptiMesh) with an AI-driven computational–perceptual model (Sentient Objects), the project will deliver safe, precise, and natural tactile feedback inside volumetric displays. This breakthrough will transform volumetric interaction from purely visual exploration into realistic, two-handed physical engagement, enabling new applications in training, rehabilitation, education, and immersive technologies.
Today’s volumetric and XR systems let users see holograms but not feel them, creating a major gap in realism and training efficiency. Current haptic technologies provide only partial solutions: ultrasound arrays generate very weak forces (<0.1 N), vibrotactile rings stimulate only small areas of the hand, and gloves or exoskeletons restrict natural movement. This lack of tangible feedback reduces immersion, limits the transfer of skills, and constrains applications where touch is critical. Despite rapid advances in XR, haptics, and volumetric displays, the opportunity to merge visual holograms with tangible touch remains almost entirely untapped. Today, over €50 billion is invested annually in XR markets, yet nearly all interaction remains limited to hand controllers, gloves, or visual-only mid-air displays. No system has yet demonstrated natural, unencumbered, two-hand interaction where users can confidently see and feel holograms in mid-air. This leaves training, rehabilitation, and design fields underserved: medical simulation and rehabilitation industries alone represent a multi-billion-euro market, but their current tools cannot provide safe tactile volumetric feedback. The core problem is clear: people can see holograms but cannot touch them.