Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara developed a display that produces images people can both see and feel. The work, led by PhD candidate Max Linnander in professor Yon Visell’s RE Touch Lab, appears in the journal Science Robotics. The project began after Visell posed a challenge when Linnander arrived in late September 2021. The team spent about a year on theory and simulations, then moved to prototypes. In December 2022 Linnander demonstrated a simple functioning prototype: a single pixel activated by brief flashes from a small diode laser.
The displays use arrays of millimetre-sized optotactile pixels on thin surfaces. Each pixel contains an air-filled cavity and a suspended thin graphite film. The film absorbs light, heating the trapped air; the air expands and pushes the top surface outward by as much as one millimetre. By scanning a light beam across many pixels in sequence, the system creates dynamic graphics that are both visible and tactile. Because the laser provides illumination and power, the surfaces need no embedded wiring or electronics.
User tests showed people could report the location of single illuminated pixels with millimetre precision, perceive moving graphics, and distinguish spatial and temporal patterns. The team demonstrated devices with more than 1,500 independently addressable pixels. Possible uses include high-definition visual-haptic touchscreens, electronic books with tangible illustrations, and architectural surfaces for mixed reality.
Difficult words
- prototype — first working model used to test ideasprototypes
- pixel — smallest element of a digital imagepixels
- cavity — empty space inside a small object or structure
- suspended — to hang or hold something in place
- absorbs — to take in energy or liquid
- tactile — related to the sense of touch
- illumination — light that makes things visible
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- How could a display you can both see and feel change the way people read books or use touchscreens?
- What practical problems might designers face when building these displays for everyday devices?
- Which of the possible uses mentioned in the article would you find most useful and why?
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