HaptE: A Sensing Glove Inspired by the Science of Touch

In the realm of technology, virtual reality (VR) stands at the forefront of innovation. Although US healthcare systems increasingly implement improvements in technology and VR, many antiquated practices persist in these spaces. Victoria Israel, McCormick ‘26, and Trevor Abbott, McCormick ‘26, co-founders of HaptE, are creatively addressing current methods and practices in the physical therapy field, aiming to optimize learning processes, maximize effectiveness and improve patient outcomes.

During Victoria's freshman year of college, the idea for HaptE emerged. While watching a video about the power of physical reactions in VR, Victoria began to wonder: what if individuals could feel the product through VR, and how could this transform capabilities within the medical field?

“I always knew that I wanted to create a startup, and I knew that I needed a team. The first person that came into my head for this idea was Trevor,” said Victoria.

The beauty of making VR more real inspired HaptE’s vision, which is a haptic technology glove that solves issues in time and efficiency in the healthcare space. After conducting customer interviews, the co-founders aim to target the physical therapy field, as they realized that doctors in this specific profession were intrigued by the idea of a sensing glove.

Introducing HaptE: a sensing glove for training, data collection, and automation. HaptE's enhanced battery life and sensors offer valuable technology for physical therapists, more specifically, in the improvement of the rehabilitation processes.

“Many data collection methods today use camera or computer vision algorithms, but you're missing a huge chunk of your data. And that data includes touching and your movements,” shared Trevor. HaptE targets this pain point by utilizing the glove's technology to take this data and minimize inefficiencies.

HaptE is providing a helping hand in the healthcare space, by differentiating themselves as a technology-focused startup in terms of availability, cost, and efficiency of the glove. “HaptE is a therapeutic tool for patients to track their progress (...) continually and on the go,” said Victoria.

Jumpstart has motivated Victoria and Trevor, provided a supportive environment for the team, and facilitated connections with their peers. The co-founders emphasized how The Garage offers the opportunity to work full-time on their startup while enjoying the support of a tight-knit community for their ideas and innovations.

In the future, the HaptE team hopes to incorporate their technology into a variety of platforms to enhance feedback, capability, and efficiency. “We imagine HaptE taking training by storm and moving these large industries where extensive training is required into the 21st century,” shared Trevor. By extending beyond traditional training methods, HaptE pivots itself as a startup that improves patient outcomes and brings new skills into these spaces.

Stay tuned to learn more about HaptE, and how it provides solutions to the healthcare space!