New tech, touchscreen buttons you can physically feel

Ah…The ever-changing world of tech…

In this week’s Tech Tuesday discussion with Teunis, he brought us news on some new screen technology called Flat Panel Haptics. What the heck is this?

Before we had these fancy smartphones, cellphones were – if you think about it – simple. No colourful screens and actual buttons you could press. And if you wanted to send a text, you had to press a particular button numerous (rapid) times to get to the right letter 😛

Listen to my chat with Theunis HERE

And then, Blackberry came along and changed the game entirely with its QWERTY keyboard. And again, we typed away happily, the feel of the buttons under our fingertips…

Fast forward to today. Top tech mobile devices are essentially just a screen – sleek – with no keyboard for your fingertips to caress while typing.

And this is where Flat Panel Haptics comes in! If things work out, we will soon be able to press an actual button again, but on your smartphone screen.

Listen to my chat with Theunis HERE

What the heck is Flat Panel Haptics?

Android Headlines writes that this new technology uses Embedded Electroosmotic Pumps (EEOPs) under the OLED panel to create ‘bumps’ based on different scenarios.

So, when an on-screen item needs a pop-up button, fluid filled a section of the EEOP section, bending the OLED panel above it, creating “a button that protrudes from the flat surface by as much as 1.5mm

Researchers from the Future Interfaces Group (FIG) at Carnegie Mellon University explains that when an on-screen element requires a pop-up button, fluid fills a section of the EEOP layer and bends the OLED panel on top. This creates a button that protrudes from the flat surface (by as much as 1.5 mm) providing tactile feedback for users.

The liquid recedes when the user dismisses it.

My fingers are tingling

It is simply amazing what has been done in the world of screen tech! From crisp, clear displays to screens that can bend, adding screens that can be raised with fluid to give the user a completely new experience – am here for it!

Aside from the cool tech, I also love the fact that Flat Panel Haptics can give users a new experience to people with visual impairments, and this is why this type of tech advancement, has got many very excited!