2023-04-28 13:19:31
Touch interfaces on flat screens permeate the modern world, as we can effortlessly observe around us. However, in many cases, the haptic feedback (that is, the vibratory feedback on certain actions) is minimal, leading to much research on alternative and, mainly, more accessible technologies for users.
In this regard, researchers from the Future Interfaces Group at Carnegie Mellon University have presented a new miniaturized type of display using built-in electro-osmotic pumps, which are controlled and powered directly by the applied voltage and are 1.5mm thick. Think of notifications/keys that create a physical bulge on your smartphone’s screen — making the icon stand out or even pulsate slightly until you press them again.
Their work is detailed in this document. [PDF] and is demonstrated in the video below:
On the less dystopian side, touchscreens with the ability to be dynamically haptic can have accessibility benefits, allowing form and texture to co-exist with the usefulness of flat-panel computing — for example, providing physical cues to people with disabilities. visual to help them identify key content on the screen (combined with the software needed to power that use case in existing apps and interfaces, of course).
The researchers suggest that the prototype of the technology allows the creation of dynamic interfaces in several types of devices, so that the buttons and signs appear at the points of need. At the moment, however, the technology has some limitations that may hinder its adoption, including the very limits of current displays – but it is not difficult to imagine future devices that use this type of resource.
Interesting, isn’t it?
via Gizmodo
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