Manufacturing at small scales is a challenge requiring in most cases a human operator in the loop. However his perception of the task is impaired seriously because of the lack of feedback quality. This can be improved sensibly by providing additional sensory modalities: notably the haptic sense is a key element of human dexterity. In this talk, I will mention some approaches to implement this sensory coupling between the microscale and the operator. These techniques lend themselves naturally to coupling manual control with automation, similar to many successful applications of robotic technologies, such as surgical robotics or robotic space exploration.