Every year the French Academy of Sciences elects from the most eminent French and international specialists to become part of the new members to carry on with the honorable responsibility, putting their knowledge in the service of the Nation and the Academy's foundations. Following elections in 2019 and 2020, the Academy of Sciences elected 22 new members. An official ceremony was held in their honor on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.
As part of the new members, Vincent Hayward, CSO & cofounder of Actronika and professor at Sorbonne University, has been recognized for his exceptional contribution to science as one of the world leaders specialized in haptics - the discipline that explores and exploits the sense of touch.
Here is the replay of the ceremony:
His interest in haptics appeared in 1991, when he developed a robot called “Pantograph”, an inclusive interface allowing visually impaired people interact with screens and touch digital objects by taking advantage of the sense of touch and hearing. The quality of the results and the minimal means necessary to implement the device made for an impressive experience.
Vincent discovered a valuable subject of work and became one of the founders of an almost-unexplored research domain.
His work in haptics led him in 2016 to become the co-founder of the start-up Actronika. The company’s mission is to provide haptics solutions capable of producing textures and high-definition tactile effects which can be integrated in devices like screens, cars, VR accessories, smartphones, etc.
In the digital era, Vincent Hayward reintroduces touch and revolutionizes human-machine interactions to offer users exceptional multisensory experiences.