Wearable haptics are quietly transforming how businesses train, collaborate, and operate. By delivering tactile feedback, such as pressure, vibration, or resistance, through wearables like gloves, armbands, or suits, companies are creating more immersive and effective experiences for their teams.

This technology truly shines in training and simulation. In sectors like manufacturing, medicine, and construction, haptic wearables replicate real-world conditions, allowing professionals to build muscle memory before working with live equipment. In healthcare, haptic gloves help surgeons practice delicate procedures with precise tactile cues. Similarly, rehabilitation programs use haptics to help patients regain mobility through guided physical interaction.

Beyond learning and skill-building, haptics are enhancing remote and field work. Imagine a technician operating a robotic system hundreds of kilometres away while feeling the texture of materials or the pressure needed to tighten a bolt, this is no longer science fiction. Companies like AMI Lab and WEART are already developing glove-robot combinations that allow workers to manipulate tools remotely, reducing the need for on-site presence and improving safety. Even the Dutch military is exploring VR and haptics to teach satellite assembly in virtual space.

This evolution presents exciting new opportunities: organisations can cut travel costs, keep employees out of hazardous environments, and speed up response times by using remote-controlled robotics paired with haptic feedback. For field work, this can be a game changer.

Meanwhile, haptics are also enhancing customer-facing applications. From more immersive product demos to richer interactive retail experiences, the addition of tactile feedback boosts engagement and satisfaction, especially in sectors like gaming, healthcare, and design.

As these systems become more affordable and versatile, their role in the workplace will continue to grow. We may soon see teams equipped with haptic suits and devices that make collaboration more vivid, reduce operational risks, and streamline complex procedures.

The future of business is one you can feel, and wearable haptics are making it possible.

By Stefania Ambela, Communications Specialist, iTechscope, 12/05/2025