More Details On Nokia Haptikos Touchscreen Technology
It’s no secret that Nokia’s working on a touchscreen UI based on S60. In fact, it’s also no secret that Nokia has a long history of touchscreen devices, starting with the 7710 back in 2004, and going forward to the Internet Tablets that we have today. However, given the strength of S60 in Nokia’s current product catalog, they’ve been taking extra time to make sure that they hit the touchscreen smartphone market running.
Nokia showed off its Haptikos tactile-feedback system already on a rigged up Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. They’ve also gotten a few patents out of the way, including this one from 2006 showing the now-slightly common morphing touch-sensitive keypad. Lately, another patent for Nokia’s Haptikos technology has emerged, giving light to just how it seems to work. According to the patent, there are a number of small ‘protuberances’ (i.e., little knubs) located just under the display. Using voltage, these can be activated to give a specific area on the display the feeling of a physical button.
Cool, so why do you care? You don’t, and it doesn’t really mean anything to the average consumer right now, but it’s kinda neat, anyhow. One of my biggest complaints of touchscreen interfaces is that you have to be looking at them to use them, and this Haptikos technology seems to solve that problem.
Hopefully we’ll see within the next year or so, though I’m not holding my breath.
[Image via UnwiredView]
I’m really keen to try out one of these haptic screens. This could be the perfect solution.
I’m thinking of the potential it has for blind people! just think how they can use just the same stuff as us, exept the interface might have to be simplified a bit. but if you could activate “blind mode” when a blind person should use it… could realy be something. At least as i’m thinkin of it right now.
I would not be _completely_ surprised if they were to put it on their next Internet Tablet. That would really blow the competition out of the water.
There was a 2 page article about haptic technologies in popular mechanics. It also has short piece about Nokia Haptikos and according to it: “Nokia expects to include the technology in a product coming this year.”
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4253368.html?page=2
That is pretty cool. I’d love to see this on a future Internet Tablet or the latest N-series device. What would be even better is for the device to give the haptic feedback when you’re grazing the button areas with your finger, but not actually register a keypress until you press down with a certain amount of force. That way you can feel your way around the keys before tapping on them, like on devices with physical buttons.
Good idea that they are taking their time. There’s nothing worse than releasing an item that will just flop on its own inadequecies. Love the little “knubs” feature…