Tactile interfaces are on the way
Combining the advantages of touch screens and mechanical keyboards and tactile feedback manipulators in one device is a long-time dream of engineers. In this short review I described three different approaches to solving this problem, from the most “coarse” and material keyboard Tactus to ephemeral Japanese holograms. All three technologies have a real embodiment in the form of working prototypes. Two of the three are commercial products ready for deployment.
The on-screen keyboard from Tactus technology can, if necessary, form bumps in place of the keys that are clearly distinguishable to the touch. When the keyboard is not needed, the bumps disappear without a trace. The technology is based on a special transparent liquid that is injected into the cavities at the location of the keys.
The transparent tactile layer has the same thickness as normal protective glass and can be installed in smartphones or tablets of any size without significant changes in technology. So far, the shape and location of the keys can not be changed, but manufacturers are working to make it possible to create bulges of arbitrary shape anywhere on the screen.
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A separate issue is scratch resistance. Soft keys can not be protected by superhard coating like Gorilla Glass. However, now there are already polymeric materials that can “heal” scratches.
Another approach uses Finnish startup Senseg . Their tactile display is based on an electrostatic effect. A thin film with transparent conductors applied on top of the screen can create different tactile sensations - bumps, hollows, edges, rough surface, vibration. Power consumption is minimal - tactile feedback effects are activated only when touched.
The film can be applied to any surface, flat or curved, hard or soft, large or small. Unlike the “inflatable” Tactus buttons, there are no moving parts, and the shape and location of the tactile elements can be arbitrary.
It is already rumored that Senseg is negotiating the introduction of this technology either with Apple , or with unnamed manufacturers of Android devices.
The University of Tokyo has developed a tactile interface with no mechanical elements at all. There is not even a surface to which you can touch. A holographic projector forms a three-dimensional image, and an array of several hundred ultrasonic emitters focuses sound waves at the right points, creating tactile sensations. The movement of the hands is tracked by Wiimote controllers.
Scientists suggest that tactile holographic interfaces will be useful for three-dimensional modeling, as well as where physical touch may be undesirable for reasons of hygiene - in public places or in hospitals.
"Inflatable" keys
The on-screen keyboard from Tactus technology can, if necessary, form bumps in place of the keys that are clearly distinguishable to the touch. When the keyboard is not needed, the bumps disappear without a trace. The technology is based on a special transparent liquid that is injected into the cavities at the location of the keys.
The transparent tactile layer has the same thickness as normal protective glass and can be installed in smartphones or tablets of any size without significant changes in technology. So far, the shape and location of the keys can not be changed, but manufacturers are working to make it possible to create bulges of arbitrary shape anywhere on the screen.
')
A separate issue is scratch resistance. Soft keys can not be protected by superhard coating like Gorilla Glass. However, now there are already polymeric materials that can “heal” scratches.
Electric illusion of touch
Another approach uses Finnish startup Senseg . Their tactile display is based on an electrostatic effect. A thin film with transparent conductors applied on top of the screen can create different tactile sensations - bumps, hollows, edges, rough surface, vibration. Power consumption is minimal - tactile feedback effects are activated only when touched.
The film can be applied to any surface, flat or curved, hard or soft, large or small. Unlike the “inflatable” Tactus buttons, there are no moving parts, and the shape and location of the tactile elements can be arbitrary.
It is already rumored that Senseg is negotiating the introduction of this technology either with Apple , or with unnamed manufacturers of Android devices.
Holograms that can be touched
The University of Tokyo has developed a tactile interface with no mechanical elements at all. There is not even a surface to which you can touch. A holographic projector forms a three-dimensional image, and an array of several hundred ultrasonic emitters focuses sound waves at the right points, creating tactile sensations. The movement of the hands is tracked by Wiimote controllers.
Scientists suggest that tactile holographic interfaces will be useful for three-dimensional modeling, as well as where physical touch may be undesirable for reasons of hygiene - in public places or in hospitals.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/145515/
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