ATSC gives Recommended Practice status to Immersion Corporation’s haptics proposal

Haptic tech developer and provider Immersion Corporation has had its proposal published by the Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) as a Recommended Practice on Haptics for ATSC 3.0. 

The proposed technology would enable the addition of haptics in ATSC 3.0 broadcast and broadband content streams on mobile devices capable of haptic feedback.

From a content perspective, the development provides a recommended approach for content distributors to add haptic playback capability to mobile apps. The company says that this will enable interactive content viewed on mobile devices to be enhanced by haptics, with it specifically highlighting live sports, advertising, and gaming.

The ATSC 3.0 standard provides improved compression efficiency, robust transmission for reception on both fixed and mobile devices, and more accessibility, personalisation, and interactivity. The body said that the tech will be launched by broadcasters to the first 62 markets over the next 12 months, which will collectively reach more than 75 percent of viewers in the US.

Madeleine Noland, President of the ATSC, said: “As NextGen TV powered by ATSC 3.0 is deployed commercially, ATSC is excited to remain at the forefront of ongoing technical developments in media and entertainment. ATSC 3.0 is a flexible, evolvable platform. We want to enable the richest experiences possible, and we are pleased to now include haptics among the impressive list of NextGen TV features, which provides an additional layer of entertainment and sensory immersion that goes beyond traditional viewing.”

Dr. Yeshwant Muthusamy, Senior Director of Standards at Immersion, said: “Our goal is to enable haptic content to reach as many people as possible. By enabling a fully documented approach to broadcasting haptics as a part of ATSC 3.0, we’re bringing haptic-enabled content to consumers sooner rather than later. Our next step is to work with broadcasters to help them integrate the Recommended Practice on Haptics for ATSC 3.0 and enable mobile devices to take advantage of the content stream.”