Touchable Holograms: Not just for Star Trek anymore!
Japanese scientists create holograms you can feel
Augmented Reality | Future | 3D | Pop Culture | Science
If you're a fan of Star Trek (did you see the teaser trailer for the new Star Trek game?) you already know about touchable holograms. The holodeck, a room that can be filled with whatever fully-immersive holographic environment and objects the user desires, figures prominently in several episodes and movies in the franchise. But until now, the idea of a hologram you can actually feel has been pure science fiction.
Welcome to the future! Researchers at Tokyo University have announced that they have created technology that adds the sensation of touch to holograms. It uses ultrasonic waves to create pressure on the hand of a user "touching" the hologram. The system uses Wiimotes from the Wii gaming system to track user's hand motions. So far, the scientists have only tested the system with relatively simple objects like balls, large cylindrical switches, and, oddly, a small bouncing purple elephant.
The inventors have big ideas about the potential uses for the technology, though, pointing out that it could be used to create virtual switches in hospitals and other places where having multiple people touching an object can create a risk of infection transmission. No word yet on how likely it might be for holographic images to become self-aware, as happened with surprising frequency on Star Trek.
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