Prototype screen gives the feeling of texture on flat touchscreens

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Prototype screen gives the feeling of texture on flat touchscreens

Right now, touchscreens are becoming fairly common all over the place, but they’re just flat glass with no real tactile feedback unless it’s some slight vibration. But in the future, touchscreens may be able to mimic a wide variety of textures to add depth, dimension and realism to the touchscreen experience.

Senseq’s prototype creates the sensation of texture made possible by an electrostatic-field based system. When you touch different areas on the screen the field produces varying degrees of friction — which is what creates a high fidelity sensation of texture. The sensation is delivered regardless of whether your fingers move or not.

The feeling could project contours and edges of things in front of you, and creates the sensation of everything from silk to rough terrain. Imagine feeling the detailed environments of your online game? Or the sensation of keys when using your smartphone to message?

Dubbed the “Feel Screen,” the technology doesn’t rely on any moving parts or additions to the flat screen. This means it can be integrated into just about any flat screen device from your phone to your TV.

Via