On July 28, 2021, the IEEE 2861 Family of Standards Plenary Session co-hosted by Tencent and AAC Technologies was successfully held at the St. Regis Shanghai Jingan.
This session was the third of the IEEE P2861.3 "Standard for Haptic Interface Enhancement for Mobile Gaming" project, which aims to promote the formulation of the first technical standard for haptic feedback in mobile gaming. Due to the complexity and diversity of current interfaces, the industry is faced with difficulties in adaptation and unification, and high labor costs. The purpose of this standard is to define a common interface and a description file of vibration waveform to unify the interaction protocol between mobile terminals and games, so as to reduce the adaptation workload for R&D teams and lay a solid foundation for the mass application of haptic feedback.
More than 20 companies and 100 guests from Tencent Games, AAC Technologies, Tencent Music, Happy Elements, Xiaomi, OPPO, Huawei, and Transsion attended the session, demonstrating the importance that stakeholders in the mobile gaming industry attaches the formulation of the standard.
（Photo: Chairman Wahab gives his opening speech via video）
At the session, Dr. Wahab Almuhtadi, chairman of IEEE Consumer Electronics Association and academician of Canadian Academy of Engineering, first thanked Tencent and AAC Technologies for co-hosting this event, and introduced the situation of IEEE Consumer Electronics Association, including its 6 technical committees and 82 ongoing standard projects. Dr. Almuhtadi believes that haptic feedback is a key technology that cannot be ignored in the field of consumer technology, and the formulation of the P2861.3 standard is expected to lead the development of the next generation of haptic technology. He also expected that the upstream and downstream partners in the industry would be able to collaborate on the basis of the standard and work together to bring changes in haptic technology across various areas of application.
（Photo: Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer of AAC Technologies Pan Kaitai delivers a speech）
"We believe that only through continuous innovation can we improve users' lifestyles through technology so that users can have a better and truly immersive interactive experience." Pan Kaitai, EVP and CIO of AAC Technologies, stressed the importance of innovation for technology-based enterprises, and also expressed that enterprises should "help users perceive a better experience with technology". Haptic feedback plays an extremely critical role in immersive interactive experiences, especially in gaming. In the future, it is expected that applications with haptic feedback will no longer be limited to providing multi-experience scenarios, but will also be able to realize intelligence and even be customized by users to achieve a truly personalized experience. The continued development of applications with haptic feedback means it is imperative to create a healthy, perfected ecosystem with positive change in the future and to define the standard of haptic feedback in mobile gaming.
（Photo: Shan Hui, General Manager of Tencent Games' TiMi T1 Studio, delivers a speech）
Shan Hui, General Manager of Tencent Games' TiMi T1 Studio, also delivered a speech at the session. He said that under the super-digital scenarios of the future, terminal hardware will increasingly become new content carriers, and he looked forward to more technical solutions becoming industry standards in the areas such as performance optimization, touch, and vibration. As the industry works together, it can explore new frontiers, accelerate the application and spread of new technologies and new hardware, and create an ultimate gaming experience for players.
（Photo: Liu Qitong, General Manager of Tencent Games' Technical Operations Department, delivers a speech）
At the session, Liu Qitong, General Manager of Tencent Games' Technical Operations Department, also shared a few words. He said that Tencent will work more closely with industry chain partners to jointly promote the formulation and implementation of the IEEE P2861 standard for mobile gaming, facilitate the continuous improvement of the industrial ecosystem, lead the development of the entire industry through technologies and standards, and improve the gaming experience for users.
（Photo: Zhang Hong conducts technology sharing via video）
Professor Zhang Hong, a tenured professor at Purdue University's School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering in the United States, is also an IEEE Fellow. At the session, he shared practical proof of using haptic feedback to enhance pleasure. Zhang mentioned two different experiments: "Haptic Sleeve" and "Signal Design to Enhance Palm Pleasure", and discussed how haptic signals can be used to convey information and enhance pleasure through different parameters, such as amplitude and time. The experiments provide strong evidence that haptic feedback can provide a better experience for users in games.
（Photo: Cao Xiang conducts technology sharing）
QQ Music first launched 4D vibration and dynamic flash effects as hidden functions in early 2020, before making them officially available in September 2020. The application of haptics in this scenario shows the perfect integration of vibration and music. At the session, Cao Xiang, Head of 4D Haptic Effects at QQ Music, shared that the app uses the industry's first Music Haptics technology to scan and analyze audio information through algorithms. Effective rhythm information is extracted which is then used to drive the actuator and flashlight on mobile phones to play along with the music, making the music "tangible" and delivering a stunning and immersive experience.
（Photo: Zhang Yulei conducts technology sharing）
Afterward, Zhang Yulei, Head of Haptic Solutions and Experience at AAC Technologies, shared the differences and characteristics of the three sensory inputs of sight, hearing, and touch on the topic of "Opportunities and Challenges for the Realization of Haptic Feedback in Gaming". She emphasized that touch is somewhat different from our more perceptible senses of sight and hearing in that it requires close and direct contact with objects and is highly interactive. In the virtual gaming world, it is only when these three senses are perfectly coordinated that a true sense of "virtual reality" is achieved. Zhang also figuratively described "haptic software and design as creating the 'soul', endowing content scenarios with strong vitality."
A highlight of the session was Happy Elements' launch of its new version of the game "Fun Fest" on iOS and Android. For this version, the firm teamed up with AAC Technologies' RichTap® to introduce more than 10 new haptically driven special effects. Only through the gradual unification and standardization of interfaces are a vast majority of users able to experience high-quality concurrently. RichTap®'s haptic feedback solution, as a cross-platform solution, continues to contribute to the formulation of this standard.
（Photo: Zhu Lizhou conducts technology sharing）
To this end, Zhu Lizhou, Technical Partner of Happy Elements, shared his experience with haptic feedback in Fun Fest at the session. He put forward some considerations regarding issues such as the difficulties in achieving satisfactory haptic effects for popping icons, the limitation of native system interfaces, the difficulty of ensuring consistent experience on different models, and the high cost of a single adjustment. Furthermore, he believes that a consensus regarding the P2861.3 standard promoted by the partners in the working family will result in a breakthrough and innovation in both technology and user experience. The application of haptic feedback in Fun Fest not only further strengthens the user's immersive experience, but also solves the issue of experience loss caused by the inability to turn on sound effects. For example, in a quiet environment, haptics can be used to compensate for lack of sound effects.
（Photo: Group photo of the session）
In the closed session, relevant experts, practitioners, and technicians from many organizations and enterprises, including IEEE, Tencent, AAC Technologies, Happy Elements, Lenovo, Vivo, OPPO, and Xiaomi, continued to carry out rigorous discussions and exchanges and voting on haptic feedback technologies and standards for mobile devices, with the aim of jointly promoting the formulation and implementation of the IEEE P2861 standard.