Analysis of Haptics Evolution from Web Search Engines’ Data

Abstract

Abstract — This article proposes using search engine results data such as the number of results containing relevant terms, to measure the evolution of Haptics, the field devoted to the science and technology of the sense of touch. Haptics is a complex discipline which is at the intersection of the knowl-edge of several specialized fields like robotics, computer science, psychology, and mathematics. It can also appear as a new and emergent discipline due to the fact that many promising haptic interfaces, which allow innovative multi-modal applications in many fields, have become mature only recently. The study presented in this article uses data collected at different periods of time (in December 1999,