Wearable Devices Allow Direct Communication by Touch

Emergency situations such as trying to escape heavy smoke from fire could leave the sense of touch as the only way to find an exit. Rather than trying to look at a smartphone screen, a smartwatch — alerted by the same alarms — begins “speaking” through the wearer’s skin, giving directions with coded vibrations, squeezes, and tugs with meanings as clear as spoken words. In other scenarios, a surgeon or a pilot might find it useful to have another channel of communication.