Imagine using your hand as an interactive touch-screen display. Sounds like science fiction, but Nokia Research Centre and the European Research Council have funded a study, led by the University of Sussex, to develop such a device, which could be used as a display for the next generation of smartwatches and other smart devices. Called SkinHaptics, the device (still in the lab) sends ultrasonic pulses to your palm from the back of your hand, creating tactile sensations (similar to the iPhone 6s and Apple Watch “3D Touch” feature, which senses the amount of pressure your finger applies to the screen and can trigger various actions).
SkinHaptics is based on haptics, the science of applying touch sensation and control to interaction with computers and technology. It uses “time-reversal” processing, make the waves converge and become more targeted as they travel through the hand (rather than being dispersed), and ending at a precise point on the palm. FULL REPORT
