Those of us who hesitate before buying a crushed-velvet bodysuit off of Amazon may soon be granted the technology to feel before we buy:
Researchers are working on touch screen technology that would allow people to "feel" physical objects—including, for example, the texture of an item of clothing's fabric while shopping online.
Cynthia Hipwell, a professor in the mechanical engineering department at Texas A&M University, is leading a team working to better define how the finger interacts with a device with the hope of aiding in the further development of technology that goes beyond sensing and reacting to touch.
The ultimate goal of furthering this human-machine interface is to give touch devices the ability to provide users with a richer touch-based experience by equipping the technology with the ability to mimic the feeling of physical objects.
It makes sense that it would go this way.
Touch, after all, is one of the key ways in which humans interact with the world.
Still... do we really need another excuse to not get up off our couches
Wouldn't it be better to—at least every once in a while—actually go out and interact with real human beings face-to-face?
Maybe swing by JOANN Fabrics and, you know, speak to a live human being about a product you wish to buy?
