Have you felt it?

There’s a moment in almost every video call where something is just a bit... off. You can see the other person’s smile in very high definition. You can hear their laugh without a hint of lag. And yet, you can sense the distance. We’ve reached a point where it isn't a technical glitch anymore; it’s something more about being human. We are there, but we aren't present.

There’s Something Missing

For years, we’ve thought of digital communication as a two-channel experience: sight and sound. We’ve spent decades perfecting cameras, sharpening microphones, and squeezing every millisecond out of network latency. High-definition video is now the default. But one fundamental sense has remained almost entirely locked out of our remote lives: touch.

At the recent NTT R&D Forum, held in Tokyo, one particular exhibit looked at what happens when you add in the missing element. NTT calls the concept vibrotactile transmission.

Vibro-what? Don’t worry, even if it sounds complicated, the core idea is easy to grasp and rests on a straightforward observation: vibrations, much like sound, can be represented as time-series waveforms.

Capturing Vibrations

This means that vibrations can be captured, encoded, and sent across the world using methods that aren’t all that different from how we handle audio. In NTT’s system, vibration data is recorded alongside the video and sound, then superimposed onto the audio channels for transmission. On the receiving end, that signal is translated back into physical movement. This allows a person on one side of the world to feel what someone on the other is experiencing. Because it doesn't require a brand-new communication infrastructure, it’s also comparatively lightweight.

Presence, Affinity, Efficacy

The mechanics are interesting, but the real story is the emotional shift it creates. NTT’s research focuses on three key human outcomes: presence, affinity, and efficacy.

How might this affect us in the real world?

Touching is Emotional

Take neonatal care. Parents with babies in intensive care often have to rely on video feeds to stay connected. It’s a vital link, but even so it can feel fragile and distant. By transmitting the vibration of a baby’s heartbeat alongside the video, the system gives the parents on the other end of a transmission a physical connection they can literally hold onto. A small technical addition, but one that changes the emotional quality of the interaction.

Consider language barriers. So much of how we communicate isn't about vocabulary; it’s about timing, rhythm, and touch. A system that includes vibration opens up a new channel for expression that doesn't rely on shared language.

And think about the lighter, more human moments: a remote high-five that actually has a bit of "pop" to it, or a virtual travel experience where you don't just see the cobblestone streets, but can feel the ground beneath you. Even simple things, like holding a device that mirrors the movements of a loved one far away, can change how we perceive distance.

NTT’s Way of Communicating

It’s all part of a much bigger philosophy at NTT: the idea that communication is about more than just data transfer. If our networks are going to support truly rich, human connections, they need to carry more than pixels and sound waves. They need to carry the weight of physical experience.

While the technology is still in the research phase—with plans for commercial use in the near future—there remain some questions to answer. Researchers are still figuring out how to design the best devices and how much tactile information is just right before it becomes overwhelming.

But the path forward is clear. For years, the goal was to make digital life look real. Vibrotactile transmission suggests that true realism depends just as much on what we can feel.

Innovating a Sustainable Future for People and Planet

For further information, please see this link:
https://www.kecl.ntt.co.jp/openhouse/2025/exhibition_16_en.html

If you have any questions on the content of this article, please contact:

Well-Being Research Project
NTT Human Information Science Laboratory
https://tools.group.ntt/en/rd/contact/index.php?param01=F&param02=202&param03=C12

Daniel O'Connor

Daniel O'Connor joined the NTT Group in 1999 when he began work as the Public Relations Manager of NTT Europe. While in London, he liaised with the local press, created the company's intranet site, wrote technical copy for industry magazines and managed exhibition stands from initial design to finished displays.

Later seconded to the headquarters of NTT Communications in Tokyo, he contributed to the company's first-ever winning of global telecoms awards and the digitalisation of internal company information exchange.

Since 2015 Daniel has created content for the Group's Global Leadership Institute, the One NTT Network and is currently working with NTT R&D teams to grow public understanding of the cutting-edge research undertaken by the NTT Group.