The gadgets and technology that fill our world assail our senses constantly. Well, all but one of them – touch is largely ignored in favour of the visual and audio channels. That is all set to change in the next few years, as manufacturers seek to use technologies that engage the tactile senses to broaden our experiences. Such ‘haptic’ devices will appear first in the gaming business (where they have already established a foothold), but as the technology improves, every device we have will be trying to reach out and touch us in some way.