Haptics Playground

Functionality & Mechanism

Developed by the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder, Haptics Playground is a design tool for creating and testing vibrational haptic patterns on Android devices. The system's interface facilitates the creation and real-time auditioning of haptic sequences. For hardware without native vibrational support, the app generates corresponding sounds to approximate the haptic experience. Finalized patterns can be exported for integration into educational, entertainment, or other multimodal applications, serving as a rapid prototyping environment for haptic feedback designers.

Evidence & Research Context

• The app was developed as a design resource within a National Science Foundation-funded research initiative to create accessible, multimodal science simulations for K-12 students.
• Associated research explored the implementation of haptic paradigms within interactive educational simulations to enhance accessibility and learning for students with and without visual impairments.
• Haptics Playground specifically facilitates the prototyping of haptic feedback, one of several adaptive features created by the project to support STEM education.
• The project's design process utilized co-design methodologies with students with disabilities to ensure the resulting tools address identified accessibility needs.

Intended Use & Scope

This system is intended for software developers, user experience designers, and researchers creating applications with multimodal feedback. Its primary utility is as a prototyping and design tool for vibrational haptic patterns. The app does not provide standalone educational or therapeutic content; its outputs must be integrated by a developer into other software platforms.