Touchy-Feely Computing

[Aukiman]

:cool:



Is it possible to "feel" an object while being in another location? This is a question addressed by several technologies on show at the SIGGRAPH 2007 computer conference in San Diego, California, US, earlier this month.

Haptic technology, which exploits the sense of touch, could have a range of applications, researchers say, from telesurgery and robotic remote control to more immersive computer games.

Haptic devices currently range from simple "rumble pack" games controllers to force-feedback devices like the Phantom Desktop – a graspable pen on the end of a motorised robotic arm.


Read More [ H E R E . . . (http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn1251 1-new-devices-promise-touchyfeely-computing.html) ]

http://technology.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/ cms/dn12511/dn12511-1_250.jpg

[mortar]

That's awesome! Nice Find.

[Besty]

That's very cool, and just requires some tweaking before being brought out into commercial applications.

ie. the devices get calibrated incorrectly (for sensors reading the light/pressure stimuli), the objects you're remotely manipulating (eg Chemicals, Fission rods), could get dropped or crushed (too light, too hard)

In the world of artificial prosthetics though, imagine the possibilities of giving a sense of "touch" back to someone who's lost a hand or arm. Very cool.