The Kajimoto Laboratory at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo has developed a touch interface prototype that uses gel to transfer tactile information to your hand. According to a video, posted by DigiInfo and included in the main story, the research team has created icons that have a physical profile on the “Palm Touch Panelâ€.
University researcher, Shogo Fukushima, says on the video: “It will be possible to
create content for entertainment that evokes the feeling of insects and ants crawling on
your palm.”
On the technology behind the display he said: “The back is an
electrical tactile display, and when you touch the touch panel, it conveys an electrical
touch at the same spot on the back. This means that while you are
actually touching the front screen, you have the feeling that the touch is going
through the screen and being traced on your palm. If there are icons or
graphics on the screen, they can also be felt on your palm.”
The Kajimoto
lab was established in April 2007 primarily to research human interface, especially tactile or multimodal solutions.
[Via Digi-Info]