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

Description du projet

Intégrer des sensations réelles aux affichages holographiques

Les systèmes de réalité volumétrique et de réalité étendue actuels permettent de visualiser des hologrammes, mais des manettes spécialisées ou des gants haptiques sont nécessaires pour les toucher. Cela perturbe l’expérience intuitive de l’utilisateur, facteur particulièrement important dans les applications médicales, de formation et de conception. Soutenu par le programme Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, le projet FeelFields entend fusionner les hologrammes visuels avec le toucher tangible en développant un affichage haptique volumétrique co-enregistré qui combine la projection holographique en suspension dans l’air avec un retour tactile sans fil, permettant ainsi aux utilisateurs de voir et de sentir naturellement des objets virtuels avec leurs propres mains. En associant le matériel de pointe Haptimesh à un modèle sensoriel et computationnel piloté par l’IA, il produira des sensations haptiques sans danger, précises et réalistes au sein d’affichages volumétriques.

Objectif

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.