# Haptic

> Haptic (formerly WearWorks) is a New York-based company building navigation and communication that runs entirely on the sense of touch - no screen, no audio. Its patented HapticNav system creates a 'virtual corridor' of vibrations that keeps a person on course, first proven when a blind runner completed the NYC Marathon without sighted assistance. The company packages this into the Wayband wearable, a HapticNav app, and an SDK so developers can add tactile guidance to maps, rideshare, healthcare, and defense applications.

- **Founded:** 2014
- **Headquarters:** Brooklyn, New York, United States
- **Founders:** Kevin Yoo (CEO & Co-Founder), Keith Kirkland (Co-Founder & Chief Haptics Officer)
- **Team size:** ~18 employees
- **Products:** Wayband, HapticNav, HapticAI, Haptic SDK
- **Notable:** Guided Simon Wheatcroft to become the first blind person to run the NYC Marathon without sighted assistance (2017), running ~15 miles by touch alone., Holds multiple U.S. patents on haptic navigation., Featured by The New York Times, TED, CNN, Discovery Channel, and TechCrunch.

## Products & services

- **Wayband** — A wrist-worn haptic wearable that guides users along a route through vibration alone, creating a 'virtual corridor' that keeps them on course without looking at a screen or listening to audio.
- **HapticNav** — The patented navigation system and app that translates GPS and map data into tactile feedback - no sensation when on course, escalating vibration as you drift off path.
- **HapticAI** — AI-enhanced haptic layer that adapts tactile feedback and guidance patterns to context and user behavior.
- **Haptic SDK** — Developer toolkit for embedding tactile navigation and haptic feedback into third-party apps, maps, rideshare, and hardware.

## Achievements

- Guided Simon Wheatcroft to become the first blind person to run the NYC Marathon without sighted assistance (2017), running ~15 miles by touch alone.
- Holds multiple U.S. patents on haptic navigation.
- Featured by The New York Times, TED, CNN, Discovery Channel, and TechCrunch.
- Secured a Letter of Intent with Uber and an SDK integration with Mapbox.
- Backed by the National Science Foundation and Google for Startups.

## Latest updates

- **2023-07** — Closed most recent seed funding, bringing total raised to roughly $390K.
- **2024-01** — Rebranded from WearWorks to Haptic, expanding focus from a single wearable to HapticNav, HapticAI, and a developer SDK.
- **2024-06** — Positioned HapticNav for commercial and government use cases including rideshare, maps, emergency response, and defense.

## Links

- Website: https://haptic.works
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hapticworks
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/wearworksinc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/haptictechnology/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/haptic
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-05