Future Multi-Touch Technology Involves Shape Shifting Buttons Based on Air Chambers

July 23rd, 2009 | by Thrystan |

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 Loading ... Do you miss the tactility of physical dials and buttons or have you gone completely to the touchscreen side? Imagine a child born in the touchscreen age… will he also have the desire to touch real buttons, thanks to the good old DNA? We’re not here to answer that, but rather to have a look at the demo below, a tech blending multi-touch and physical buttons:

This brand new display technology uses air chambers that can turn into buttons or various symbols shown on-screen and tactile enough to allow a decent interaction. This innovation would surely aid blind users, turning into some sort of Braille shape shifting keypad. Also, we learn that the new screens will still be sensitive enough, thanks to “Microsoft Surface-like IR rear-projection touch-detection”.

As we speak, the technology is limited to “inflating” the air chamber or deflating it to the “puffed” and “sucked” state, in order to display 2 different shapes on the screen, but this is a mere concept, so it’ll evolve in the future.

[via GSM Dome]

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