Tactile Touch Panels Coming to Sony Handhelds

[Ed Hardy]

Sony engineers have developed a touch panel that can feel like the user is pressing a button or writing on paper.

Read more on http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ta...oming_to_Clies

[gfunkmagic]

Wow, that is really interesting! I wonder what type of applications will make use fo this feature? The only problem is that I'm not so sure I like the idea of touching the screen all the time with my fingers...

[Scott R]

This could be great if it was someone other than Sony who came up with it. Sony has demonstrated that they have no clue as to how a real hard button should feel when pressed (for a long while there each subsequent CLIE had progressively worse buttons designed by their sadomasochist usability group). So, will this new device feature a virtual up/down button styled after the Sony T415? Or perhaps they'll go all the way and design virtual application buttons that simulate the sensation of having a hot poker piercing your fingertips.

Scott

[Scott R]

OK, I suppose I should interject some more serious opinions on this matter...

If this really works, it would be quite cool. One of the things I never liked about A/V remote controls based on virtual input screens was the lack of tactile feedback. When I'm watching a movie, I like to just pick up the remote, and feel around for the volume buttons without having to look at it (which, if the room is dark, I wouldn't be able to make out where the volume buttons are anyway). Now, one question with this technology is whether it only provides feedback when you actually tap the button (a la a button click), or if it can actually provide some sort of feeback while you're feeling around so as to simulate the edges of a button. IMO, the latter would be far more useful, though I suspect that what Sony has developed is the former.

Scott

[Twin_Pixel]

Well, it doesn't sound really necessary to me.

[TinMan]

I would imagine this technology could really be put to good use for the blind. Imagine a large touchscreen that you could read with your fingertips.