A Retrospective on Ultrasound Mid-Air Haptics in HCI

TL;DR

This paper reviews the development and impact of ultrasound mid-air haptics in HCI, highlighting its technical, perceptual, and interdisciplinary contributions since 2013.

Contribution

It provides a retrospective analysis of UMH's evolution, its role in enabling multisensory interaction, and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing this technology.

Findings

UMH established as a viable interaction modality

Supported multisensory interaction, immersion, and inclusion

Demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary collaboration

Abstract

In 2013, the UltraHaptics system demonstrated that focused ultrasound could generate perceivable mid-air tactile sensations, building on earlier explorations of airborne ultrasound as a haptic medium. These contributions established ultrasound mid-air haptics (UMH) as a viable interaction modality and laid the technical and perceptual foundations for subsequent advances in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). In this extended abstract, we revisit this formative work, trace the research and design trajectories it enabled, and reflect on how UMH has supported multisensory interaction, immersion, and inclusion. We also highlight how this line of research exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary collaboration to advance novel interactive technologies.