Researchers have already tried to overcome the lack of physical feedback on touchscreens by adding on vibration and sounds. But boffins at one university have developed a touchscreen display that literally sports pop-up buttons.
Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com
Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson at …
They haven't developed the first "latex-based touchscreen" - they've developed a surface where pre-defined shapes can be raised or lowered, hardly a touchscreen. Hardly something that revolutionary either...
They use a projector and cameras for the touchscreen functionality - same as the home made touchscreens many have done across the net.
... there's a few things that would need to be addressed. The button layout doesn't appear to be flexible enough to offer different numbers, sizes or types of buttons, as it's limited to the location of the inflatable areas behind the screen. For example, how would you switch between a QWERTY keyboard and a numeric keypad?
It's also prone to vandelism - just imagine the wanton destruction an individual armed merely with a pin could inflict. One prick and it's all over, so to speak.
This sounds really good, then you watch the video and realise it can only create buttons that are built in to the screen there is no dynamic button creation really. Its like a screen which can hide its buttons and then display them again. What would be good if it could create buttons on a generic screen of any type and size decided by the application otherwise its just as limited as having actual buttons for example at the side of a cash machine.
Not quite the same admittedly but much more likely.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Not Worth It, Unless the Only Reason is For Braille
#
The clickable pad, like you see on the latest MacBooks from Apple, provide ample tactile feedback for sighted people.
Only blind people, or people with applications in which their dashboard needs to be used without direct visual cues, would find this useful, as it is bound to be both expensive and less-than-robust.
I suspect that blind people would want a denser information display, such as a braille strip, or braille keys.
I invented that in my head last year sometime, except it had a finer resolution and also a reader so you could push body parts against it and they'd raise at another location - all tech has a sex application screaming to get out somewhere!
OK you can dump the projector for a flat screen of some kind or even pre-printed backing. But how do you get rid of the need for a compressed air supply?
As a research tool for studying UI design and ergonomics OK. Cool toy OK. Actual usage IRl?
Tactile feedback could be attractive in some cases but I think the ideal would be some kind of electroactive gel that expands/contracts on small voltage levels (current pulses would have to diffuse through the gel. This is unlikely to be very fast). Done fast enough the whole face of your phone buzzes when your on vibrate, eliminating the buzzer and eliminating the buzzer parts. This sort of thing gets phone mfgs quite excited.
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Boffins pump out pop-up touchscreen
Researchers have already tried to overcome the lack of physical feedback on touchscreens by adding on vibration and sounds. But boffins at one university have developed a touchscreen display that literally sports pop-up buttons. Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com Chris Harrison and Scott Hudson at …
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Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:27 GMT
The Gritter
The early adopters? #
The pr0n industry of course ;) just a little more air...
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:27 GMT
Robert Hill
So cool... #
This is such a cool device...I can just feel it...
Mine's the one with the pins that will be used to pop and destroy this keypad once it's at all the ATMs near you...
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:27 GMT
Andrew Kemp
Not a latex-based touchscreen... #
They haven't developed the first "latex-based touchscreen" - they've developed a surface where pre-defined shapes can be raised or lowered, hardly a touchscreen. Hardly something that revolutionary either...
They use a projector and cameras for the touchscreen functionality - same as the home made touchscreens many have done across the net.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:27 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Apple #
Taking bets on how long it takes before Apple patent exactly this technology!
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:27 GMT
Joe K
Boffins? #
No display tech, but instead you need a projector to cast any display onto inflatable buttons?
This isn't boffinry, this is Dim Dave from the pub coming up with a ridiculous idea that no-one will ever use.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
James McGregor
Very nice, but ... #
... there's a few things that would need to be addressed. The button layout doesn't appear to be flexible enough to offer different numbers, sizes or types of buttons, as it's limited to the location of the inflatable areas behind the screen. For example, how would you switch between a QWERTY keyboard and a numeric keypad?
It's also prone to vandelism - just imagine the wanton destruction an individual armed merely with a pin could inflict. One prick and it's all over, so to speak.
Paris ... as she knows all about pricks ...
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Ron
Not as good as it sounds #
This sounds really good, then you watch the video and realise it can only create buttons that are built in to the screen there is no dynamic button creation really. Its like a screen which can hide its buttons and then display them again. What would be good if it could create buttons on a generic screen of any type and size decided by the application otherwise its just as limited as having actual buttons for example at the side of a cash machine.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Anonymous Hero
Great! #
....flat panel pop-up boobies anyone.....?
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Thumbs up.. #
This is really cool tech.
Adaptive shaped screens would be amazing.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Jerome
Dynamically Changeable? #
Sure as hell doesn't look like it.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Anonymous Coward
(untitled) #
The artificial muscle i read about the other day sounds much better, also it should work with existing touchscreens.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/24/artificial-muscle-makes-touchy-devices-burlier/
Not quite the same admittedly but much more likely.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Not Worth It, Unless the Only Reason is For Braille #
The clickable pad, like you see on the latest MacBooks from Apple, provide ample tactile feedback for sighted people.
Only blind people, or people with applications in which their dashboard needs to be used without direct visual cues, would find this useful, as it is bound to be both expensive and less-than-robust.
I suspect that blind people would want a denser information display, such as a braille strip, or braille keys.
It is cool, though.
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 14:28 GMT
Luis Ogando
PR0N!! #
Yes, yes, YES!!
Can't wait for this to be available for use with those internet sites I keep visiting...
Paris, 'cos she's definitely been pumped up a few times!!
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 16:48 GMT
Big Bear
It uses set shapes? #
It ain't no LCARS display is it?!
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 16:48 GMT
Anonymous Coward
There goes my patent #
I invented that in my head last year sometime, except it had a finer resolution and also a reader so you could push body parts against it and they'd raise at another location - all tech has a sex application screaming to get out somewhere!
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 16:48 GMT
DPWDC
@Andrew Kemp #
Agree with Andrew Kemp, this isn't anything special - its a projector and fixed buttons that move... You could build that with clear lego bricks!
I'll not be trading in my REAL touchscreen any time soon!
Posted Tuesday 28th April 2009 16:48 GMT
John Smith
re-definable tactile keys #
OK you can dump the projector for a flat screen of some kind or even pre-printed backing. But how do you get rid of the need for a compressed air supply?
As a research tool for studying UI design and ergonomics OK. Cool toy OK. Actual usage IRl?
Tactile feedback could be attractive in some cases but I think the ideal would be some kind of electroactive gel that expands/contracts on small voltage levels (current pulses would have to diffuse through the gel. This is unlikely to be very fast). Done fast enough the whole face of your phone buzzes when your on vibrate, eliminating the buzzer and eliminating the buzzer parts. This sort of thing gets phone mfgs quite excited.
Posted Wednesday 29th April 2009 09:15 GMT
Anonymous from Mars
Hay boffanz #
Dear Boffins,
You forgot the 0 in your horrible prototype.
Love,
Everyone with a 0 in their PIN.
This topic is closed for new posts.