Programmable Localized Surface Haptic Feedback Achieved Through Seamless Transparent Panel

As interactive digital content continues to grow rapidly, the incorporation of haptic feedback becomes increasingly crucial for enhancing user immersion. However, current touchscreen-based haptic systems rely on whole-body vibrations, offering only basic interactions such as responsive cues to touch or notifications. To address this, we developed a haptic display utilizing a seamless, transparent panel with a multielectrode electrostatic actuator capable of generating localized surface haptic feedback. The actuator integrates 20 transparent electrodes, enabling precise control over the vibration field in terms of location, magnitude, range, and frequency. This concept extends to multipoint feedback via spatially localized control. A key aspect of our approach is the use of an inverse filter algorithm, which leverages the pseudoinverse of the frequency response function to define the relationship between input voltage signals and resulting accelerations across the panel. This enables realtime modulation of the vibration field for dynamic, responsive touchscreen interactions. The system achieves a response time of 27.6 ms, a maximum vibration amplitude of 9.22 m/s² at 250 Hz, and consumes less than 12 mW of power. Its effectiveness was validated through simulations, experiments, and user testing, confirming precise tactile feedback and dynamic vibration rendering.