Haptics, that's the term (look it up).

A touch input device (may be a screen or keyboard) has piezoelectric components embedded or attached. As you use the device, the piezoelectric components give touch feedback as pulses, vibrations, recorded signals etc, usually in a co-ordinated manner.

This could feedback the sensation of having pressed a key, or launched a rocket, or whatever. The components might be at strategic places on the device or arranged in a pattern such as a grid.

Imagine blind people seeing a picture, vibrations/mechanical shock feeding back the shapes/textures of the image. That could be a live image from a phone camera. Miracles? Pffft! Technology.

Braille SMS/email? Whatever. There are *so* *many* useful applications.

The haptic feedback could also be placed on the back of the device so that sighted people could feel the image with their fingers as they hold the device in their hands, the vibrations appearing to be behind the image on the screen.

The haptic data need not be simple image data, but could be alternate data (eg thermal), or image recognition (IED components, gun muzzles, wanted faces) or GPS guidance (turn left, watch that manhole!) or just a silent phone ring.

Maybe it will be used as a new medium for art, shifting patterns of touch and texture, images and rhythms.

Yes, I know about Rule 34. That, too. ;)

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