TOUCHLESS

Touchless haptic tech for tactile interaction and bonding sensation, compensating for physical distancing.

The social distancing measures introduced to restrict the spread of coronavirus and help halt the COVID-19 pandemic have made us realise just how important interpersonal physical contact is to our overall well-being, and which we are currently missing. Even though there are many advanced haptic technologies, they cannot replace tactile interaction that enables bonding physical sensation of care through the stimulation of skin receptors during touching. The EU-funded TOUCHLESS project aims to overcome that challenge through development of a next-generation touchless haptic technology. It will construct neurocognitive models and a novel AI framework to enable touchless digital inducement of the sensation of touch through the receptor response. It will also enable a soothing, affective, social and cognitive experience.