DocM Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Essentially this let's you "feel" what is shown on a display. This has profound implications virtual reality - especially porn ;) http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20130907193607data_trunc_sys.shtml Touch-feedback out of thin air by Will Parker Using focused ultrasound radiation, scientists have created a human-computer interface that provides haptic (touch) feedback above a computer screen without having to touch or hold any device. The system, developed by University of Bristol (UK) researchers, will be unveiled this week at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology in Scotland. Co-developer Tom Carter said the technology, dubbed UltraHaptics, allows people to "feel" what is on the screen. "UltraHaptics uses the principle of acoustic radiation force where a phased array of ultrasonic transducers is used to exert forces on a target in mid-air," he explained. "Haptic sensations are projected through a screen and directly onto the user's hands." To deliver tactile sensations to the user, a series of ultrasonic transducers emit very high frequency sound waves. When all of the sound waves meet at the same location at the same time, they create sensations on the skin. Carter claims that the system is capable of creating individual points of feedback that are far beyond the perception threshold of the human hand. In tandem with the force-feedback system, the researchers have also established the necessary properties of a display surface that is transparent to the ultrasound radiation. "We have designed a system with an ultrasound transducer array positioned beneath an acoustically transparent display," Carter said. "This arrangement allows the projection of focused ultrasound through the interactive surface and directly onto the users' bare hands. By creating multiple simultaneous feedback points, and giving them individual tactile properties, users can receive localized feedback associated to their actions." So far, the researchers have explored three interaction possibilities: mid-air gestures, tactile information layers and visually restricted displays, and created an application for each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramesees Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 So like the interface in the Iron Man movies ? Is this the "hard light" user interface we've seen portrayed for years in movies and sci-fi ? Sounds awesome :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 Combined with the 3D touch design & 3D metal printing system SpaceX is working on (and actually using for some things) it could lead to an Iron Man type system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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