  Some forces in nature are difficult to comprehend due to their non-intuitive
and abstract nature. Forces driving gyroscopic precession are invisible, yet
their effect is very important in a variety of applications, from space
navigation to motion tracking. Current technological advancements in haptic
interfaces, enables development of revolutionary user interfaces, combining
multiple modalities: tactile, visual and auditory. Tactile augmented user
interfaces have been deployed in a variety of areas, from surgical training to
elementary education. This research provides an overview of haptic user
interfaces in higher education, and presents the development and assessment of
a haptic-user interface that supports the learner's understanding of gyroscopic
precession forces. The visual-haptic simulator proposed, is one module from a
series of simulators targeted at complex concept representation, using
multi-modal user interfaces. Various higher education domains, from classical
physics to mechanical engineering, will benefit from the mainstream adoption of
multi-modal interfaces for hands-on training and content delivery. Experimental
results are promising, and underline the valuable impact that haptic user
interfaces have on enabling abstract concepts understanding, through
kinesthetic learning and hands-on practice.
