Japanese researchers develop touchable holograms

Japanese researchers at the University of Tokyo's Department of Complexity Science and Engineering have developed a new type of hologram that can be touched. While there are limitations (a handshake, for example, is impossible), you could "stroke the hand of the other side and lightly touch each other freely at arbitrary parts of the hand, sharing the haptic sensation." You could also send someone an image of your face and let them touch it as though it's real.

The technology behind it is named Haptoclone, which employs "telehaptics". Essentially, a Kinect sensor captures the motion while ultrasound arrays emit ultrasonic radiation pressure, providing the desired result.

Last updated: Dec 29, 2015 at 10:32 pm CST