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There are three types of proprioceptive and cutaneous feedback devices. The first are haptic (or force feedback) devices. They give information to the system about the movements made by the user, at the exact same time that they act on those movements. They are called sensory-motor interfaces. They allow the user to feel the stiffness, weight, inertia and friction of the objects they are manipulating (Gosselin and Andriot 2006). These devices include force-feedback arms, as well as wearable devices such as gloves and exoskeletons. For example, in industry training, these devices can transmit force to the user’s arms to make the user feel as if he or she has to exert strong pressure on a workpiece in order to pierce it.

The second proprioceptive and cutaneous feedback devices are tactile devices. They provide sensory information to the user about contact with a virtual object. This information may concern its shape, roughness, texture or temperature (Benali-Koudja and Hafez 2006). These devices use matrix printer technology and Braille display systems for the blind. This type of device is still underdeveloped today.

The final proprioceptive and cutaneous feedback devices include motion simulation devices. Motion simulation devices place force on the user’s body to change its orientation in space, or to cause it to undergo accelerations (Fuchs 2006). They include seats and other single-user devices and simulation booths. In the latter, the virtual environment display devices are included and they are usually multi-user. These devices can be used to simulate the movements experienced by passengers inside a car cabin or on a boat.