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Haptics, iPads and all that jazz
Mike Rose posted earlier about the possible introduction of haptic features on the next generation iPad. Here at TUAW, we've been waiting for haptics to officially hit the iPhone and its iOS cousins for years. Haptics, the overarching term for technologies providing tactile sensory feedback, may seem like the natural evolution for touch screens. Haptic feedback is something more than a gimmick. It solves a real problem -- the lack of physical response on the otherwise featureless glass interface between the user and the device. Haptics can provide a sense of physical location and texture enhancement that can be used to create more realistic experiences. If you've used a Wii, you're more or less familiar with the idea behind haptic interfaces. On the Nintendo system, the rumble motor in the remote responds physically to the on-screen pointer position, letting you feel when you're hovering over buttons and other on-screen elements. On the Mac keyboard, little nubbins on the j and f keys allow touch-type users to instantly orient hand positions. On a hypothetical haptic iPad, these same kinds of touch cues could align fingers to onscreen elements. A basic iPad haptic interface would work in a similar manner to these buzzes and nubbins. An advanced one would expand the notion to include even more texture elements that provide sensory output for different kinds of on-screen features. Haptics are a clear win for the visually impaired, but they also expand the user experience for the young and the elderly, as well as the "standard" iPad owner, through location feedback and texture. Today's Guardian article has a very good write-up about the current state of the technology and what we may yet see on the iPad. Will it happen today? All of us at TUAW hope so.
Something to touch: Haptic feedback rumor gains traction for iPad "magic" feature
It's always something at the last minute. Yesterday, the UK's Guardian newspaper stoked the iPad rumor fires with a nuclear blowtorch by pairing the verbiage of Apple's event invitation -- "We have something you really have to see. And touch." -- with the work of a Finnish technology company called Senseg. A similar speculation hit over at The Next Web, and a MacRumors forum member outlined the argument last week. Senseg's patented screen technology creates a layer of "tixels," texture pixels that allow developers to control the feel of the screen; smooth to rough, slippery to sticky. The company's tech leads did a demo for the Guardian in January, where the reporter was able to identify on-screen textures (sandpaper, cloth, ridged surface) with eyes closed. Senseg's been fairly close-mouthed about any relationship with Apple when asked about it over the past few months, but that hasn't always been the case. Back in June of 2011 VP Ville Mäkinen let slip that Senseg was "currently working with a certain tablet maker based in Cupertino." Oh really. GigaOM pointed out this Cnet video demo of the Senseg technology (from November 2011), which of course appears just as if Rafe Needleman is using an ordinary tablet. The real innovation of Senseg's system is that unlike other haptics approaches, the screen uses electrostatic attraction to modulate the friction between finger and surface. No moving parts and "just works" simplicity -- sounds pretty Apple-esque. While Senseg executives have wisely delivered no comment on the upcoming Apple event, the notion of a sensable screen for the iPad aligns awfully neatly with Apple's collection of patents covering haptic interface elements like keyboards. Unlike some other Apple innovations that don't necessarily align immediately with users' needs, there's no question about this one: giving tactile feedback to iPad typists would provide a real-world benefit right away. And don't even get us started on what haptics would mean for game developers. Be sure to join us for our metaliveblog coverage of Apple's announcements, coming up in just a couple of hours.
Rumor mill: Will the new iPad have a tactile display?
Remember Senseg's tactile touchscreen displays? Well, last December the company showed off a screen that used an electrostatic field to simulate friction and textures on the glass. Such technology was a couple of years away from being commercially viable, but there's a tiny glimmer of a chance it might be the new killer iPad feature. Pocket-lint spoke to a company rep who cryptically said that the company wasn't making any statements until "after Apple's announcement." Why would they issue any statement tied to today's Apple news? Could it connect with a remark made back in June 2011 to Trusted Reviews, that Senseg had partnered with a "certain tablet maker based in Cupertino?" Maybe that line in Apple's invitation to today's event is another clue: "We have something you really have to see. And Touch." After all, Siri was announced at the "Let's talk iPhone" event, so it wouldn't be the first time the company places vague hints under our noses. Still, we have but a few hours left to wait until we really know what's coming, so join us for the live announcement later today.
Toshiba brings texture to touch (video)
Reach out and touch whatever screen you're reading this on. What if, instead of feeling the glass or plastic beneath your finger, you could experience the texture of a brush, woodgrain, or even a stone? Well, Toshiba's working on just such a project, which operates on the basis of a film affixed to, say, a smartphone's touch panel -- electrical currents are sent through this layer, and your digits are shot up with the simulated sensation of touching those various surfaces. Senseg, the company behind this tech, has been around since 2008, but perhaps this recent prototype demo is a sign that things might actually start going places. It's not like there'll be a shortage of imaginative uses for such precise tactile feedback. Video after the break.
