COMMERCIAL-GRADE FORCE FEEDBACK SYSTEM

Haption’s force feedback system allows users to simulate future manufacturing tasks in a virtual digital environment, even before the product exists.

Technology

Founded in 2001, Haption is the culmination of 30 years of force feedback research at the CEA. The company’s system gives users the ability to interact with software or virtual objects by touch. The system’s force feedback sensitivity ranges from several dozen grams to ten kilograms. Play, friction, and mechanical vibration do not affect the user experience. 

The company has several industrial customers (PSA, Airbus, Lockheed Martin) who use the system to simulate tasks like assembly, disassembly, and maintenance, without having to build physical prototypes. The system is also in use in nuclear plants, where it helps remote-control robots in hot zones. More recently, the company has started developing simulators for surgical training.

With a subsidiary in Germany, exports account for 35% of Haption’s annual revenue. The company has licensed several List patents and is working with the institute to develop a number of industrial applications for its technology.