Wednesday, August 29, 2007

New devices promise touchy-feely computing

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Is it possible to "feel" an object while being in another location? This is a question addressed by several technologies on show at the SIGGRAPH 2007 computer conference in San Diego, California, US, earlier this month.

Box of balls
Gravity Grabber, this prototype device consists of two tube-shaped attachments that fit over a person's thumb and forefinger. Each tube has a pair of motors that sit on top and connect to a belt that wraps around the tip of the finger. The motors can pull on the belt to produce the feeling of touching an object, and can produce the feeling of holding something heavy by pulling more tightly.

Gravity Grabber in action

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