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Future AirPods, AirPods Pro (and Apple Glasses) may offer haptic feedback

Future AirPods and AirPod Pros — as well as the rumored “Apple Glasses” — may use haptic (touch) feedback to direct a wear to performa certain actions, according to a newly granted Apple patent (number 10,966,007) for a “haptic output system.”

The user could be directed to the person speaking in a FaceBook or Zoom online meeting. The wearer of a augmented reality head-mounted display could be directed to look in a certain direction while playing a game or navigating a computer-generated environment. And more.

Here’s the summary of the invention: “A method of providing a haptic output includes detecting a condition; determining if a head-mounted haptic accessory comprising an array of two or more haptic actuators is being worn by a user; determining an actuation pattern for the array of haptic actuators; and in response to detecting the condition and determining that the head-mounted haptic accessory is being worn by the user, initiating the actuation pattern to produce a directional haptic output that is configured to direct the user’s attention along a direction.”

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.