TwinTouch: Integrated Multi-dimensional Wearable Haptics for Digital Twin-based XR Teleoperation

Teleoperation plays a critical role in human-robot interaction across domains such as assembly, inspection, and remote manipulation. Despite decades of work on VR haptics and on robotic teleoperation, there remains a significant gap in integrating rich haptic feedback with immersive teleoperation experiences. Combining multiple specialised haptic devices to cover kinesthetic forces and tactile rendering simultaneously is often impractical due to cost and complexity which reduce both embodiment and manipulation fidelity in robotic teleoperation. In this study, we present TwinTouch, a lightweight cable-driven wearable with remote actuation, capable of delivering up to 7.5 N per finger without constraining arm movement. Integrated into a complete XR-based digital twin loop, TwinTouch combines real-time tactile sensing at the robot gripper with multi-attribute rendering. User studies on fragile-object manipulation and material compliance perception show that TwinTouch enhances both XR immersion and teleoperation performance, bridging experience-oriented and function-oriented approaches.