[nfbcs] Textured touch screen

[Tracy Carcione]

This sounds potentially interesting.
Tracy


forwarding begins:
Jim Probasco

The mouse is at it again.

Disney ( 
<http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/stock-price?symbol=dis&ocid=qbeb> 
DIS -0.58%), the company that invented animated feature films and created 
the multi-plane camera, not to mention "electricity generating paper," just 
invented a touchscreen that lets you feel the shape of objects.

Technically, the process is called "tactile rendering of 3D features." 
According to 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/08/disney-invents-touchscreen-that-lets-you-feel-textures/?utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Mobile%20Insights&utm_campaign=Post%20Blast%20%28sai%29%3A%20Amazon%20Looks%20To%20Grab%20> 
The Washington Post, engineers at Disney Research have developed a rendering 
algorithm that uses small electronic pulses to trick your fingers into 
feeling bumps and texture -- even though the surface is flat.

For the more scientifically curious, Disney Research Hub posted a 
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo1n5CyCKr0> YouTube video that explains the 
process in detail.

Not to detract from the amazing work of those Disney geniuses, but the 
notion that friction is the main path by which we perceive textures is not 
new. The phenomenon has been known since 2001. Disney, of course, turned 
theory into an actual potential product.

As with the recently unveiled electric generating paper, the future 
potential applications are what capture the imagination most. Consider, for 
example, being able to view a map on a tablet or smartphone and feel the 
contour -- or shop online and feel the texture of a piece of clothing before 
making a purchase.

On a more serious note, think how a textured screen would benefit blind 
users by being able to navigate through smartphone menus using Braille-aided 
touch. What about the ability to walk on a sidewalk, using a combination of 
GPS and a textured screen to avoid obstacles?

>From an educational perspective, the ability to add touch to the learning 
experience would turn computer images into real objects in the mind of a 
learner. It's one thing to look at a picture of a dinosaur fossil, another 
to feel the ridges of what used to be bones.


"Touch interaction has become the standard for smartphones, tablets and even 
desktop computers, so designing algorithms that can convert the visual 
content into believable tactile sensations has immense potential for 
enriching the user experience," said Ivan Poupyrev, director of Disney's 
Interaction Group.

While Disney's new algorithm has captured the headlines, others have shown 
interest as well. Rumors about a haptic, or touch-feedback, Apple ( 
<http://investing.money.msn.com/investments/stock-price?symbol=aapl&ocid=qbeb> 
AAPL +0.53%) iPhone or iPad touchscreen keyboard have circulated for some 
time. As recently as last March, there was talk of an 
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/anthonykosner/2012/03/24/the-feel-screen-the-pros-and-cons-of-a-tactile-interface-for-the-next-ipad-or-iphone/> 
upcoming interface based on electronic stimulation.

At the time of this writing, Jim Probasco had no position in any mentioned 
securities.