Researchers at Texas A&M University are developing haptic technology designed to add the sense of touch to remote medical consultations. The project aims to allow physicians to perform physical examinations on patients located in different cities, states, or countries.
In 2023, the National Science Foundation awarded the College of Engineering a $1.5 million grant for this initiative. Dr. Rebecca Friesen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, leads the project. The goal is to digitally transfer tactile information similarly to how audio and video are currently conveyed during telemedicine.
The technology enables a nurse or technician at a rural clinic to perform a palpation exam while wearing a sensing glove. A camera records the procedure, and the system transmits both video and haptic data to a physician for interpretation. This setup allows the remote doctor to feel textures and lumps as if they were physically present.
Dr. Pijuan Yu, who worked on the project under Friesen’s supervision, demonstrated the system using phantoms that simulate human neck tissue. In testing, Yu identified a lump in a sample without touching it directly, relying on feedback from a labmate performing the exam in another room via FaceTime.
The researchers note that haptics, derived from the Greek word for touch, already exist in consumer technologies like video game controllers and steering wheels. This project expands those applications to clinical settings.
