Researchers show off flexible, band-aid-sized tactile display

We've seen tactile displays of all shapes and sizes, but none quite like this latest creation from a group of researchers at Korea's Sungkyunkwan University and the University of Nevada, which promises to be at your disposal whenever you need it. That's possible thanks to the electroactive polymer material the display is based on, which consists of eight layers of tiny actuator films that have been sprayed with electrodes in a specific pattern, allowing the skin to be stimulated without any additional electromechanical transmission. In addition to making it possible to wrap the display around your finger like a band-aid, that also makes the system extremely power efficient and, apparently, cost effective and easy to manufacture. As with other tactile displays, the researchers say this one could be especially useful as a braille display for the blind, although they don't see any shortage of other potential applications, with them foreseeing it being used in everything from virtual keyboards to tele-surgical gloves.

[NHAnimator @ Jun 10th 2008 11:40AM]

For the blind, maybe create scrollable banner text that they could read without moving their fingers? I'm not sure if that would be better or not, but perhaps someone blind could comment on the usefulness of this technology.

For virtual reality pervs, it could send messages like "THIS IS WHAT BOOBIES FEEL LIKE (.)(.)"

[Flashpoint @ Jun 10th 2008 11:43AM]

allowing the skin to be stimulated without any additional electromechanical transmission.


I can't imagine what this will do for pornography.

[whowhatme @ Jun 10th 2008 11:50AM]

the ability to wrap it around finger-like shapes could prove to be a boon to the industry

[Phoenix @ Jun 10th 2008 5:56PM]

That's the very same thing I thought. I can only imagine what the pervs will do with this sort of tech.

[lance @ Jun 10th 2008 11:44AM]

this is really is cool, (unlike the phone reviews lately, if ya know what I mean ;)
I can see so many uses for this my mind just spins with delight and solutions!
Very cool

[Wwhat @ Jun 10th 2008 12:42PM]

Imagine covering a certain phone with it! (that was mean, I know :P)

[ahdok @ Jun 10th 2008 12:06PM]

Man, that's pretty freaky. I mean, watching this stuff update and the fluid skitter accross the surface must be really odd.

Is this based on ferrofluids?

[UFAnders @ Jun 10th 2008 12:42PM]

Looks like all those developers will now be able to give BACK to the pr0n industry!

I just hope the first prototype is electrically isolated... =D

[Stiv @ Jun 10th 2008 12:52PM]

So... I'm not the only one who thought of pronnish applications. That's... um.. good, I guess. Right?

[Wwhat @ Jun 10th 2008 1:17PM]

It's normal and expected if you are freshly entering puberty, don't worry about it.

[Stiv @ Jun 10th 2008 1:55PM]

boobies (.)(.) FTW

[stardash @ Jun 10th 2008 2:33PM]

hahaha you said boobies!

( o )( o )
) . (
( Y )

[Stiv @ Jun 10th 2008 2:34PM]

@stardash

L2format!

[stardash @ Jun 10th 2008 2:35PM]

I meant

.( o )( o )
...)......(
..(...Y...)

[sinjinn @ Jun 10th 2008 5:19PM]

u forgot the nose

[Boynamedsue @ Jun 10th 2008 1:43PM]

awesome. Braille book-on-(finger)-tip

[Cypher Spider @ Jun 14th 2008 3:23PM]

Does anyone else remember the Fu-Fme from a few years back, This sort of reminds me of that.