Ultrahaptics*YouTube
The technology allows people to feel like they are touching a hologram.
SCIENTISTS have created a new technology that allows users to feel the sensation of touching something that is not there. Ultrahaptics claims to be the first company in the world to develop a device which allows users to feel sensations with their bare hands when they are just touching air.
It is claimed the project, part-funded by the European Union (EU), will revolutionise hygeine in healthcare, security and virtual reality systems.
An Ultrahaptics spokesman said: “While interacting in mid-air with a touchless sensing system, this frontier heralds a fundamentally new relationship with technology.
“The EU-funded UTOUCH project has enabled the development of ultrasonic speakers which project Invisible forces into the air, capable of being felt on human skin at a distance of up to one metre.
“The technology adds value to gesture-control applications, such as hand swipe recognition for control functions.”
The firm says the technology can generate invisible buttons, dials and sliders that can be felt when needed, along with visible hand-tracking interfaces.
A Ultrahaptics spokesman said: “The range of possible applications is almost limitless.”
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A user of the system feels car parts that are displayed on the computer screen.
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The technology can also be extended to the smart home and workplace where heating, entertainment, and lighting controls relying on touch for activation, such as keyboards and mice, could be replaced the system.
Mr Cliffe said: “Brand engagement is a fast moving sector. Take film posters, people typically currently spend 3.8 seconds looking at one.
“By making them more interactive with touchless sensing we get that dwell rate up to 10-15 seconds, and up to 30 seconds when we integrate gaming.
“A demonstration of this at CES included a poster which emitted lighting – which could be felt by visitors – from a sorcerer’s orb.
“Indeed, the development team see the next frontier residing in mixed realities, blending Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Reality and Virtual Reality, of particular value to the gaming and entertainment industries.”
Source: Express