August 15, 2005
Haptic Touch Screen
From a recent blog post in Technology Review: Prototypes
Touch screens greet tourists at museums, shoppers at checkouts, and even drivers on dashboards. In spite of the name "touch," though, they don't feel like much--just flat, boring glass or plastic.
But press a virtual button on a screen from San Jose, CA's Immersion, and you'll feel the same satisfying clack you'd feel pushing a key on a keyboard. The device works by tricking your sense of touch. Precise motors vibrate the top layer of the display. The vibration varies depending on which graphic you touch--a car's thermostat, say, or its radio tuner--creating a distinct sensation for each. An on-screen visual response and an audible click or buzz add to an illusion that overrides your perception of the display's hard surface. Immersion is currently licensing the technology and shipping demonstration models to automakers, display manufacturers, and other companies.
Posted by sfisher at August 15, 2005 10:38 AM | TrackBackComments
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