Immersion, a developer and licensor of what is called haptic feedback technology, plans to bring its force feedback technology to cell phones and other handheld devices.

The company claims that after years of research, Immersion's haptic engineers have developed touch technology currently included in a new cell phone prototype. "Immersion's haptic technology allows users to physically feel their interactions with games, messages, ring tones, menus, and other user interface elements," said Jeffrey Eid, VP of Consumer Markets at Immersion. "As the standard in PC and console gaming and now emerging in the cell phone and PDA markets, our touch feedback technology delivers an intuitive and engaging human interface to create the highest level of realism, interaction, and fun for the user."

According to Immersion, the current cell phone prototype replaces the typical "on/off" pager motor in a standard cell phone with Immersion's hardware and control software to deliver high-fidelity touch sensations. Immersion said its implementation offers developers the ability to independently control both vibration strength and frequency, creating a wide range of sensations.

The company claims using haptic emoticons, such as a high-five, a smile or a growl, complements talking and text messages. In addition, it said games come alive as users feel the difference between the crisp, sharp strike of a well-hit golf ball in contrast to the twang felt when a drive is shanked. Immersion said users will be able to personalize their handhelds by choosing specific vibe-tones associated with incoming callers, messages or other alerts. Haptic cues can also be used to confirm the user's selection of various menu items on the handheld, which makes navigation easier.