The definition of haptics refers to the process of recognizing objects through the sense of touch.1 Psychophysicists and Engineers have long explored the human ability to identify physical objects with the hands and how to employ haptics in virtual environments.2 There is still much to be explored on how haptics can be used in communication.

Possible Futures: In the future, what was once a physical button and then became a screen icon, will become a physical button again. Smart materials will drastically change the way interfaces are designed and interacted with. The ability to change a physical object with a program will also allow the ability to send tangible objects through digital networks. The discussion of tangible and virtual things will be insignificant.
As interaction designers explore the use of tangible and embedded interfaces, further research in haptic communication can be an interesting alternative to the abundance of screen-based devices.
Scientists and engineers also have a significant history of haptics research that focuses on how haptic feedback can be used in virtual environments or in broad actions that require some amount of resistance for improved efficiency.3 I choose not to focus on this particular association of haptics but on the ways that haptics can be used in social communication.