When's
a screen not a screen? When, err, it's made of thin air we suppose—like
this touchscreen, which is constructed from light and ultrasound
vibrations alone.
Called
HaptoMime, the screen uses uses reflective surfaces to create a
holographic display. Then, the presence of someone's hand at the
(non-existent) surface is detected using an infrared sensor, which
causes ultrasound transducers to beam out high-frequency sound towards
your fingertips. The sound causes the sensation of pressure—effectively
making it feel like you're touching a real, solid surface.
The holographic images are high enough resolution to read 6 point Times
New Roman font, and the video shows that it easily allows someone to
play a toy keyboard. The applications are endless, but it seems like a
particularly sensible solution for situations where the lack of physical
touch would be beneficial—think kitchen, operating theatres ant the
like. [New Scientist] +Technology Trust
No comments:
Post a Comment