3D touchscreen by Microsoft- Don't just see feel it..!
Years back all the controlling actions where to be done by operating a keyboard like hardware or valves. But as the technology advanced the interacting way changed to 2D touchscreens which used a transparent touch sensitive module installed on a display panel and it is still ruling the world of interaction. But soon things are to change with the advent of 3-D touchscreens evolving the interaction to a whole new stage.
Microsoft's Applied Sciences Group(ASG) is one such development team dedicated to create next generation of computer interaction technologies using synergy between optics, electronics and software. This since months is into the 3-D touchscreen development and now has succeeded in creating it. This 3-D touchscreen not only allows interacting but also makes sure that the images can be felt. This could have wide applications including gaming as well as in medical field.
To realize this, it uses LCD panel provided with force sensors and a robotic arm. The force sensors are used to calculate the force applied by the user and the robotic arm to move the screen panel backward or forward accordingly. Once it detects the the touch position on screen the force sensors make sure that the robotic arm moves the screen accordingly with a small force so as to keep one of their fingers in contact i.e., while user touches it pushes screen forward and if it applies more force on screen it moves backward. The shape and weight of objects can be made to be felt by precisely varying the resistance between the tip of user's finger and the screen and accordingly changing the graphic on screen to make sure that the 3-D effect is felt by user. Even when the user drag their finger it changes the screen position to match the object's contour in the graphic.
Thus making use of haptic technology and adjusting the resistance it is possible to simulate the physical sense of touch like a stone to be felt requires large force resistance while the soft things like balloon would require very less.
The senior researcher Michael Pahud said "As user's finger pushes on the touchscreen and the senses merge with stereo vision, if we do the convergence correctly and update the visuals constantly so that they correspond to finger's depth perception, this is enough for user's brain to accept the virtual world as real". A special glass helps provide a stereo-vision effect when the user touches.
Medical application would allow doctors to efficiently examine the scan . A demonstration was conducted using MRI scans of brain where doctor could go through different slices just by pushing against the screen and any anomaly could be felt since the touch response would be changed accordingly giving a good experience. It allows doctors to leave a haptic dent or force-feedback marker making it easier to locate in future, according to their report.
This 3-D touchscreen would be extensively adapted in many fields. But it has got few disadvantages to tackle with before it could be adapted, since in real world the images have rough uneven surface rather than smooth and even, so it would require the screen to move accordingly at a greater pace to provide the feel of 3-D touch of a uneven rough surface.
Meanwhile California based Tactus too is working on to provide touch feedback in different ways. It has come up with the screen combined with tiny channels of fluid which create bump like impression on screen giving a sensation of buttons.
The victory seems very near but needs lot of efforts from the different firms to make sure that they get there first. Soon the humans all around would not just see the images but even feel them allowing the doctors to examine patients from home. Thus would create lot of applications changing the way of interaction.
Years back all the controlling actions where to be done by operating a keyboard like hardware or valves. But as the technology advanced the interacting way changed to 2D touchscreens which used a transparent touch sensitive module installed on a display panel and it is still ruling the world of interaction. But soon things are to change with the advent of 3-D touchscreens evolving the interaction to a whole new stage.
Microsoft's Applied Sciences Group(ASG) is one such development team dedicated to create next generation of computer interaction technologies using synergy between optics, electronics and software. This since months is into the 3-D touchscreen development and now has succeeded in creating it. This 3-D touchscreen not only allows interacting but also makes sure that the images can be felt. This could have wide applications including gaming as well as in medical field.To realize this, it uses LCD panel provided with force sensors and a robotic arm. The force sensors are used to calculate the force applied by the user and the robotic arm to move the screen panel backward or forward accordingly. Once it detects the the touch position on screen the force sensors make sure that the robotic arm moves the screen accordingly with a small force so as to keep one of their fingers in contact i.e., while user touches it pushes screen forward and if it applies more force on screen it moves backward. The shape and weight of objects can be made to be felt by precisely varying the resistance between the tip of user's finger and the screen and accordingly changing the graphic on screen to make sure that the 3-D effect is felt by user. Even when the user drag their finger it changes the screen position to match the object's contour in the graphic.
Thus making use of haptic technology and adjusting the resistance it is possible to simulate the physical sense of touch like a stone to be felt requires large force resistance while the soft things like balloon would require very less.
The senior researcher Michael Pahud said "As user's finger pushes on the touchscreen and the senses merge with stereo vision, if we do the convergence correctly and update the visuals constantly so that they correspond to finger's depth perception, this is enough for user's brain to accept the virtual world as real". A special glass helps provide a stereo-vision effect when the user touches.
Medical application would allow doctors to efficiently examine the scan . A demonstration was conducted using MRI scans of brain where doctor could go through different slices just by pushing against the screen and any anomaly could be felt since the touch response would be changed accordingly giving a good experience. It allows doctors to leave a haptic dent or force-feedback marker making it easier to locate in future, according to their report.
This 3-D touchscreen would be extensively adapted in many fields. But it has got few disadvantages to tackle with before it could be adapted, since in real world the images have rough uneven surface rather than smooth and even, so it would require the screen to move accordingly at a greater pace to provide the feel of 3-D touch of a uneven rough surface.
Meanwhile California based Tactus too is working on to provide touch feedback in different ways. It has come up with the screen combined with tiny channels of fluid which create bump like impression on screen giving a sensation of buttons.
The victory seems very near but needs lot of efforts from the different firms to make sure that they get there first. Soon the humans all around would not just see the images but even feel them allowing the doctors to examine patients from home. Thus would create lot of applications changing the way of interaction.
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