Kathryn Hartman

From the crass rattle of early pager motors to the more sophisticated purr of the iPhone taptic engine the ability to buzz has slowly worked its way into our devices. This course focuses on interaction design for non-visual feedback. Specifically it will explore how haptic feedback can be better utilized and integrated into handhelds, wearables, objects, and environments – basically anything that we touch or that touches us. Traditional tools such as eccentric rotating mass (ERM) motors, linear resonance actuators (LRAs), and haptic motor drivers will be introduced as well as less conventional methods such as gentle poking, prodding, warming, cooling, squeezing, and tickling. Through both hands on experimentation and a review of research to date, students will emerge from this course well-positioned to incorporate sophisticated non-visual feedback into their projects and prototypes.