Haptics is the science of applying touch (tactile) sensation and control to interaction with computer applications. The devices used to interact with computer applications are known as haptic interfaces. These devices sense some form of human movement, be it finger, head, hand or body movement and receive feedback from computer applications in form of felt sensations to the limbs or other parts of the human body. Examples of haptic interfaces range from force feedback joysticks/controllers in video game consoles to tele-operative surgery. This thesis deals with haptic interfaces involving hand movements. The first experiment involves using the end effector of a robotic manipulator as an interactive device to aid patients with deficits in the upper extremities in passive resistance therapy using novel path planning. The second experiment involves the application of haptic technology to the human-vehicle interface in a steer-by-wire transportation system using adaptive control
