Mechanical metamaterials empowering haptic feedback

Touch, as one of the five primary human senses, carries crucial information related to environmental interaction, spatial perception and physical perception. In recent years, with the rapid advancement of human–machine interaction, how to efficiently and realistically reproduce haptic information has become a central challenge in building immersive interaction systems. However, traditional haptic devices are often limited by single functionality, complex structure, bulky size and weak integration, making it difficult to simultaneously achieve multimodal haptic reproduction and wearability. To overcome these bottlenecks, mechanical metamaterials, with their ultra-compact architectures, programmable mechanical properties and multifunctional integration capabilities, have demonstrated remarkable potential in haptic devices. This paper systematically reviews the mainstream functionalities of mechanical metamaterials and the practical integrability with corresponding haptic modalities, highlighting their potentials in haptic systems through programmable Poisson’s ratios, snap-through stabilities, various stiffness, and mode switching. Furthermore, typical haptic feedback application scenarios (VR/XR entertainment, medical rehabilitation, disability assistance and human–machine collaboration) are discussed from a system-level perspective in terms of enabling pathways and integration strategies. Finally, the challenges faced by mechanical metamaterials in haptic feedback are summarized, and future prospects are envisioned in the context of intelligent structural design, micro/nanoscale manufacturing and interdisciplinary convergence.