- Researchers at UCSB made a new tactile display.
- People can both see and clearly feel the images.
- It uses a small fast scanning laser.
- Each pixel has a thin graphite film.
- Light heats air under the film.
- The top surface moves up to one millimeter.
- The system scans many pixels very quickly.
- The team made devices with 1,500 pixels.
- People can feel and see moving shapes accurately.
- No wires are on the surface.
Difficult words
- Researchers — A person who studies and tests ideas.
- tactile — Connected to the sense of touch.
- display — A screen or surface that shows images.
- pixel — A very small point in an image or screen.pixels
- graphite — A dark, soft form of carbon used in thin films.
- scans — To move quickly over parts to check or read.scanning
- surface — The top outside part of something.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Would you like to feel and see images on a screen?
- Have you ever touched a screen that moves?
- Do you prefer to touch or to only see images?
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