Communications of the ACM
UltraHaptics – It's Magic in the Air
UltraHaptics arose from research to integrate haptic feedback into interactive surfaces without sacrificing simplicity or accessibility.
Credit: University of Bristol News
University of Bristol researchers have developed UltraHaptics, an interface system that enables users to experience multi-point haptic feedback above an interactive surface without having to touch or hold a device. The system enables allows users to feel what is on the screen and to receive invisible information before they touch it.
UltraHaptics uses the principle of acoustic radiation force, in which a phased array of ultrasonic transducers is used to exert forces on a target in mid-air. The researchers say they have shown that the system can create individual points of feedback that are far beyond the perception threshold of the human hand.
The researchers also note they have established the necessary properties of a display surface that is transparent to 40kHz ultrasound.
"Our goal was to integrate haptic feedback into these systems without sacrificing their simplicity and accessibility," says Tom Carter, a Ph.D. student in Bristol's Interaction and Graphics research group. Carter says that to achieve this, the researchers designed a system with an ultrasound transducer array positioned beneath an acoustically transparent display. "By creating multiple simultaneous feedback points, and giving them individual tactile properties, users can receive localized feedback associated to their actions," he says.
The researchers are presenting their work at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology this week in St. Andrews, Scotland.
From University of Bristol News
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