Embodied Haptics for Extreme Performance

Welcome to the Touchwaves blog! We’re excited to share more about who we are, what drives us, and how we aim to transform human performance in extreme conditions.

Our Mission

At Touchwaves, our mission is simple but ambitious: to strengthen human–machine collaboration by bringing technology closer to the the body. We believe the human operator is often the weakest link in high-stress systems — and the most important one to empower.

Our approach? Embodied haptics — seamlessly integrating tactile feedback into garments that communicate biometrics and system alerts directly to your body. When vision, hearing, or attention are saturated, haptics can cut through the noise.

What We Do

We design and build smart garments that embed haptic systems. These aren’t just prototypes on a lab bench — they’re being tested in real-world, high-demand settings.

• Pilot systems integration: We’re working with the Royal Netherlands Air Force to bring haptic alerts for hypoxia, fatigue, cognitive overload, and spatial awareness.

• Sensor fusion: We combine traditional sensors (PPG, SpO₂, motion) with custom algorithms to drive real-time haptic feedback.

• Dual-use ambition: While defense is our entry point, we also envision applications in sports, wellness, and healthcare, where humans operate under stress or need better situational awareness.

Why It Matters

• Safety first: In domains like aviation and defence, human performance errors can cost lives and assets.

• Reduced cognitive load: Pilots and operators are bombarded with information. Haptics can help manage attention by shifting critical alerts to the body.

• Scalable impact: Once perfected in mission-critical settings, this technology can ripple outward — into sports, medical recovery, and everyday performance enhancement.

The Road Ahead

We’re in the early stages of this journey. Over the coming months, we’ll be pushing prototypes, running tests, refining designs, and building partnerships.

We’ll share stories from the field, lessons learned, technical deep dives, and progress updates here. We hope you’ll follow along — and maybe even join us in pushing the boundary of what embodied technology can do.

If you’re curious, want to collaborate, or just want to geek out over human–machine interfaces, drop us a line.

Welcome to Touchwaves.

— The Touchwaves Team