Sylvia Tan/Northwestern University
Just put a sticker on your finger and voilà: you can feel the shapes of your phone: it’s all about tactile resolution.
The new ultra-thin and wearable device called VoxeLite recreates tactile sensations with a clarity that compares to that of a human fingertip.
According to Interesting Engineering, it is a comfortable and intuitive interface, which adapts perfectly to your fingertips and which can change the way people use digital environments.
“Touch is the last great sense without a true digital interface,” said Sylvia Tan, who led the project.
The researcher stated that the team wants the textures and tactile sensations to appear real. Tan added that the device remains comfortable even after prolonged use: Compare it with wearing glasses.
His co-author, J. Edward Colgate, described the work as a major step. “This work represents a great scientific advance in the field of haptics, by introducing, for the first time, a technology that achieves ‘human resolution’”, he said.
Previous systems from the same team used electroadhesion to alter friction on screens. VoxeLite improves on this idea by controlling mechanical force. Each node attaches to a surface and angles to press against the skin.
Higher voltage increases friction and creates rough sensations. Lower voltage reduces friction to simulate smooth surfaces. In active mode, nodes quickly tilt to generate virtual textures.
They move up to 800 times per second, covering the entire frequency range of tactile receptors.
The new device promises a sensorial experience that promises to revolutionize cell phones — all it takes is a sticker the size of a Band-Aid.
