Advancements in Tactile Technology for Touchscreen Devices
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new technology that allows for dynamic interfaces on touchscreens, with the ability to create physical bulges in the screen for notifications and other signals. The technology, which uses embedded electroosmotic pumps for scalable shape displays, could have accessibility benefits for people with visual impairments. The researchers suggest the technology could also enable the return of keyboard physicality to touchscreen smartphones. While BlackBerry-maker RIM attempted something similar in 2008, the researchers' hydraulics-based haptics are much smaller and more versatile, potentially making them more useful.