I have just read an article about how Disney has discovered a way for people to “feel” the texture of certain objects/ images on a flat touchscreen.The technique involves sending small vibrations through the display that allows people to “feel” edges, bumps and ridges of an object. Disney believe the vibration-generating algorithm is easy to add to existing touch screens.
I personally think that this is an exciting breakthrough, which could lead to numerous opportunities for Disney and their products. This is because it is well-known that children enjoy and learn through touching objects and physical movement. I believe that children would love to be able to “feel” what certain objects feel like, rather than just seeing them on a screen.
It would be interesting to know other student’s thoughts? Do you think that this is a significant breakthrough for Disney, and could be a beneficial discovery for their numerous products? Do you believe that children would enjoy the sensation of being able to touch and “feel” the texture of what they see on screen?
I found this discovery very interesting, but I’m a little bit scared as well. I think that it would be great to touch your smartphone or pad screen and be able to ‘feel’ the texute of things and objects, but I do prefer the real world. And I don’t think Disney can develop any application that could replace the feeling of having a plush in your hands, expecially for a kid. Kids are supposed to discover the world by themselves, not watching or feeling it on a screen.
But I think that a lot of app developers would be very interested in this discovery: can you imagine how many games and entertaining apps would benefit from this kind of characteristic? I think in this way, apps can become more and more appealing to users.