MIAMM: Lessons Learned in Haptic & Tactile Interaction

In this paper, we report on the MIAMM project, one of the key goals of which is to explore the use of the haptic and tactile modalities as a means of interacting with multi-dimensional databases through a hand-held device. The device uses a range of haptic and tactile techniques in order to accommodate the range of data and types of request likely to feature in the use of the MIAMM device. We describe these techniques together with our experiences in implementing them with users in exploratory evaluations. We conclude with sets of recommendations as to factors that need to be taken into account when designing and configuring haptic and tactile interaction techniques.