The market for haptic technology will hit $10 billion by 2026, according to Global Market Insights. The major drivers will be consumer demand in gaming and smart telecommunication devices such as tablets and smartphones. Analysts also predict haptics will be widely used by automakers in 3D touchscreen displays and communications. Several companies are involved in developing application-specific haptic interfaces.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic will make a dent in the growth in haptics. The global economy has significantly declined due to government lockdowns and other measures take to stem the pandemic. In some countries, for example, civilian travel is limited and major distribution and manufacturing facilities are temporarily shuttered.
Analysts predict this could affect the sales of automobiles, gaming equipment and consumer electronics, in turn disrupting haptic technology industry growth. But the haptic technology market is projected to grow steadily after 2021 as the effects of the pandemic taper off.
As noted above, haptic technology is mainly used in gaming, consumer electronics, robotics, healthcare and the auto industry. There are two types of haptic technology: force, which relies on feedback, and tactile, which does not. The force feedback segment accounted for about 30% of the 2019 market, owing to its increasing use in robotics and healthcare. Tactile could be used to differentiate controls on TV infotainment subsystems.
Over the years, more and more robots have been employed in manufacturing automation and healthcare. Continued growth, if not an upsurge, in robotics could build demand for haptic technology. Haptics offer accurate control over robots for more precision in semiconductor assembly, surgical assistants and other sensitive manufacturing applications. Haptics are also being used in new ways. Early this year HaptX announced it had designed a haptic telerobotic platform that lets users send out realistic touch feedback to anyone across the globe.
Haptic technology should also get a boost from virtual reality (VR), which is widely used in electronic games and adds a new dimension to the experience.
VR haptics typically call for users to wear shoes or gloves or hold onto a controller or joystick to feel the computer-generated vibrational feedback. Developers ae working on innovative ways to convey and use the sense of touch.
The global haptic market includes companies like Force Dimension, Geomagic, Inc., Immersion Corporation, Hapton S.A., MK Electronics, HaptX Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc.