Disney Researchers Unveil REVEL, Wearable Technology That Enhances Sense Of Touch

Researchers at Disney Research, Pittsburgh have formulated a new wearable tactile technology which modifies the user's tactile perception of physical world by altering the feel of real-world objects like touch-screens, walls, furniture and plastic objects. This technique demands almost no assistance from tools such as actuators or any other heavy instrumentation.

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Augmented Reality has primarily focused on providing visual immersion while the sensory applications related to touch find a function in touch-screen devices, but this new Research brings sense of touch to real objects. Disney Researchers have achieved this benchmark by making use of a novel physical phenomenon, called reverse electrovibration. A weak electric signal is applied to user's body, which creates an electric field around the user's fingers, that eventually makes up for the tactile feedback.

The Researchers use reverse electrovibration, which involves the user running the electric current rather than the surface in order to produce a similar sensation as the electrovibration effect. The position of the finger is tracked by an external sensor such as Microsoft Kinect, to render electrovibrations to make the user feel bumps, edges or changes in texture. The research can be implemented across various applications including addition of haptic feedback to games, applying texture to projected images and providing customized directions on walls for people with visual disabilities.

https://youtu.be/L7DGq8SddEQ

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