A chance to play with the latest technologies and discover science at The Royal Institution
This “adults-only” event allowed us to explore aspects of touch. Until this event I had not heard of Haptic technologies. Haptic comes from the Greek “haptesthai,” meaning to touch. Scientists have been studying haptics for decades. They know what kind of receptors are in the skin and how nerves shuttle information back and forth between the central nervous system and the point of contact. Now haptic technologies are recreating the sense of touch and have revolutionised everything from robotics to medical training.
A team of psychologists from University College London were on hand with experiments exploring touch. The evening included talks and activities from neuroscience and perception to virtual reality.
Lectures
Hiroyuki Kajimoto showed how whole-body haptics enrich reality, affect the feeling of presence and emotion, and induce feelings related to motion.
Then consultant neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan took us on a journey through the world of psychosomatic illness.
