At the recent Interaction 2011 show, a group of researchers from Osaka University demonstrated what they term a big-screen, furry, multi-touch display, which shows animations and recognises multi-touch input on a soft, furry surface.
The display consists of modules containing bundles of fibres and infrared LEDs, so a large screen can be achieved. This demonstration used a 24-inch display. Check out the video after the break.
Aside from obvious jokes about furrys (and
if you really want to know what they
are then just Google it), it looks like this
could have serious applications in fields such as
early years learning, and visitor attractions. One of
the real problems that exist with touch and
gesture-based interfaces is a lack of tactile feedback to
the user. Adding texture in the way that
this system does could be a real step forward.