8 next-gen haptic technologies that will let you feel-up the Web
This conversation will surely go to a place we did not mean it to, but we'll give it a whirl: Did you ever wish you could get more intimate with the Internet? We spend so much time in the virtual space, but only explore it with two senses. Kind of a pity for a species that experiences so much through touch.
Researchers around the world are developing various forms of haptic technologies that will further merge the tactile and the digital. Why should we settle for some silly virtual Facebook "poke," when we could be literally poking our friends from anywhere in the world?
The 1970s saw the first vibrating beepers (kids, ask your parents or see early-'90s rap videos) that converted data into physical sensation. This primordial buzzy tech evolved little as it found its way into our current crop of smartphones and game controllers. But untargeted vibrating gadgets only hint at what haptics have to offer. To that end, we present eight promising technologies that will further plug our mortal coils into The Matrix.
These tactile gadgets may one day be seen as a stop-gap before The Singularity comes and our brains connect directly to computers where we experiences sensations from phantom limbs we never even knew existed. But, in the mean time, here's some cool tech that allow us to smack, prod, and pinch the digital world. (And vice versa.)
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1. A mouse that knows how âheavyâ your files are German design firm, DataBot recently came out with a mouse that adds more friction when clicking and dragging files in proportion to how large the files are. A 20 mb video file might âfeelâ heavier than a 7 kb gif. For most people, this might sound like an unwanted ability, but it could be a useful tool for professionals who work with large data files. It could also add an interesting new dimension to game play. [Source]
2. A rubber screen A Japanese team of researchers recently created an LCD-based touchscreen device that responds on-screen as the user pinches, pulls, or pushes objects made from a transparent rubber. This tech provides new ways to punch and paddle data around with real-time visual feedback. This could conceivably be used to train professionals that deal hands-on with the human body: everyone from surgeons to masseuses to tattoo artists.
3. A shape-changing touchscreen Ever since consumer mobile touchscreens became widespread, there has been a steady parade of rumors and promises about tactile touch screens being just around the corner. And weâre not talking about the vibrating bezel featured in many Android devices, but tech that allows for shape-shifting screens that will form actual textured screens. One of the latest rumors comes courtesy of a Microsoft patent that described screens built from a shape-memory polymer that physically alters when hit with certain wavelengths of UV light. The tech is reportedly being designed for their tabletop touchscreen displays. [Source]
4. A first-person shooter, where you actually get shot Do you ever feel youâve lost all empathy for the avatars you kill and maim in shooter games? Last year, University of Pennsylvania grad student Saurabh Palan created a haptic vest geared towards fans of first- and third-person shooters. The vest gives players a real time sensation of getting hit or shot all along their torso. Reportedly, it can provide a sensation akin to a paintball shot. The vest is specifically designed to give the sensations of gunshots, stabbings and blood flow. This kind of thing keeps popping up over the years — it's only a matter of time before someone makes it really work.
5. A âkinetic movie chairâ You know why movies are boring? Because your seat is standing still. At least thatâs what one company is trying to sell with their D-BOX Motion Code chairs which move in synch with the filmâs action. Similar tech has been used in theme parks and arcade games for years, but it might be a way to bring viewers into further into films or other digital interfaces. [Source]
6. Tactile Brush Disney recently announced their âTactile Brushâ project, which will utilize well known tactile special effects to add a new immersive dimension. The project plays on the concept that two vibrating points on the body will give the effect of movements along the skin. The project is developing special chairs that could create these sensations in the viewer all over their body. Likely, this will first be utilized at Disney theme parks, but could add a whole new dimension of immersion for gamers and music fans. Pictured: examples of how 12 vibrating coils in a seat can simulate different, specific sensations beyond a simple "rumbling" chair. [Source]
7. A floor that changes shape A Team at McGill University in Montréal designed an "augmented reality floor" that reacts to people walking on it in real time. Aside from being able to provide audio and visual feedback to a âuserâ as they traverse the floor, the system can give the feeling of walking on different textures such as snow, grass, and pebbles. The tech works via sensors beneath the floor that can track a users foot and place vibrations at specific points to give the textured effect. [Source]
8. Cyber Gloves Various companies are working on so-called âcyber gloves.â The devices vary slightly in that some will offer only vibrations to give the feeling of basic textures, while others offer force-feedback, where the device will create the illusion of grabbing or touching a virtual object by creating resistance to hand and finger movements. [Source]
