Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

In HIRO III, Researchers See Scientific Breakthrough, We See Feel-O-Vision

by Terrence O'Brien on June 30, 2010 at 11:00 AM

HIRO IIIOften, when people talk about the future of user interaction with computers, the go-to reference is Steven Spielberg's 'Minority Report.' But those dreams of gesture-based computing find users waving their hands in the air with no tactile feedback at all, and anyone who has typed on both an iPhone and a BlackBerry can tell you a little physical feedback is always welcome. An experimental system being developed at Gifu University in Japan marries that sort of hand gesture-based experience with 3-D displays and haptic feedback to create an experience that more closely resembles manipulating objects in the real world.

The HIRO III requires that you strap your fingertips into a robot hand, which has fingers that simulate the texture of real surfaces to provide a sense of weight to your on-screen interactions. For example, if you're running your hand across a jagged surface, the HIRO III will appropriately recreate that feeling. When combined with a 3-D display, the experience should be quite immersive. The system has obvious applications for controlling robot arms, as well as for simulating surgical and diagnostic procedures for medical students. Check out the video of HIRO III in action after the break. [From: Engadget]

Tags: 3dDisplay, gesture, GestureControl, GifuUniversity, haptic, HapticFeedback, health, HiroIii, interface, interfaces, medical, top, ui

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular