Imagine touching your sweetheart’s face on the screen of your laptop and you see her react in real time. You also feel a touch, suddenly, on your face. This scene might be coming from a science fiction story, but it seems that this just might be a reality in the near future.
"Physical touch, human touch, is probably the deepest, most significant emotional connection that you can establish with a loved one or friends," said nanoengineer John Rogers, a professor of bioengineering at Northwestern University.
For years, science has been scrambling to add tactile sensation to our virtual experiences. Various types of electronic skins have been developed, typically reliant on clunky wired electrodes that provide less than instantaneous response and a lack of two-way feedback.
In a paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, Rogers and his team at Northwestern report a new wireless and battery-free smart skin that could shift the course of this technology. Through a fast, programmable array of miniature vibrating disks embedded in a soft, flexible material, this smart skin can contour to the body and deliver sensory input -- what you'd feel when using it -- that Rogers says is quite natural.
This technology could be applied in social media, virtual reality, and even telemedicine.
More details over at CNN.
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