Touchscreens go 3-D with buttons that pulsate and vibrate under your fingertips
Thursday, March 14, 2019 - 10:10
in Physics & Chemistry
By pulsing or vibrating on demand, smartphone screens can help users navigate through a menu or can guide a user's finger to virtual on-screen buttons that can be created or removed wherever and whenever needed. Professor Stefan Seelecke and his team at Saarland University have developed a film that gives touchscreens a third dimension. The thin and extremely lightweight silicone film can adopt a variety of positions and shapes and can be made to execute a single pulse, a pushing motion, a sudden jolt or a prolonged vibration at a specific location on the screen. The polymer film also exhibits sensor properties and can therefore provide the device with an added sense organ.