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Haptic feedback is a desired feature in teleoperation as it can improve dexterous manipulation. Direct force feedback to the operator’s hand and fingers requires complex hardware and therefore substituting force by for instance vibration is a relevant topic. In this experiment, we tested performance on a Box & Blocks task in a teleoperation set-up with no feedback, direct force feedback and substituted vibration feedback. Objective performance was the same in all conditions as was the learning effect over three sessions, but participants had a clear preference for haptic feedback over no haptic feedback. The preferred type of feedback (force or vibration or both) varied over participants. In general, this study showed that haptic feedback is preferred in teleoperation, the Box & Blocks task seems not sensitive enough for our (and most) current teleoperation set-up(s), and vibration feedback as substitute for direct force feedback works well and can be used intuitively.

Mediated Social Touch (MST) promises interpersonal touch over a distance through haptic or tactile displays. Tests of the efficacy of MST often involve attempts to demonstrate that effects of social touch (e.g., on affective responses or helping behavior) can be replicated with MST. Results, however, have been mixed. One possible explanation is that contextual factors have not sufficiently been taken into account in these experiments. A touch act is accompanied by other verbal and non-verbal expressions, and whom we touch, when, and in what manner is regulated through social and personal norms. Previous research demonstrated, amongst others, effects of gender and the facial expression of the toucher on the recipients’ touch experience. People can use expressions of the toucher’s emotions as a cue to anticipate the meaning of the ensuing social touch. This current study examines whether emotions expressed in text (i.e., textual tone) affects the meaning and experience of MST. As expected we found textual tone to affect both the comfortableness of the touch as well as its perceived meaning. Limitations and implications are discussed.KeywordsMediated social touch Textual tone Affective haptic devices Computer mediated communication Haptic feedback