5 ms·

I wonder if in the future you could have micro-fluid channels underneath the screen where you can pump fluid to create raised bumps for the buttons. I remember

I wonder if in the future you could have micro-fluid channels underneath the screen where you can pump fluid to create raised bumps for the buttons. I remember seeing a techdemo years ago, but haven't seen it materialize in a product. This seems to be a good fit.

bartread 5y ago
This is the closest story I found: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-35232827 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-35232827. But I do remember, and I'm sure it was also on the BBC, a piece several years ago where they demonstrated "physical buttons" the the form of reconfigurable raised bumps on a touch screen that was, I think, either on a phone or a small tablet. I just can't find it now unfortunately. If a company could get that to work well, and it was also robust in the face of day to day wear and tear, being dropped, etc. - and of course it wasn't incredibly expensive - I think they'd probably be on to a bit of a winner.
- passivate 5y ago
  https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-panel-could-add-physical-buttons-to-a-touch-screen/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-pa...
whatshisface 5y ago
https://la.disneyresearch.com/publication/tactile-rendering-of-3d-features-on-touch-surfaces/ https://la.disneyresearch.com/publication/tactile-rendering-... Disney has been working on this, although their method is different from your proposal.
- passivate 5y ago
  This is the one I was thinking of.. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-panel-could-add-physical-buttons-to-a-touch-screen/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-pa...
techrat 5y ago
>I wonder if in the future you could have micro-fluid channels underneath the screen where you can pump fluid to create raised bumps for the buttons. The problem with this technology is several-fold: 1) Areas that can be raised are fixed. 2) Liquids. 3) Do you like the feel of squeezing a zit when you press a button in a game? 4) Anything that uses this technology will not have a uniform looking screen, relegating the second screen to a sub-status compared to the first. 5) Microfractures due to repeated flex. 6) Scratches at 1 with deeper grooves at 2.
- passivate 5y ago
  Thanks for your comment! How did you learn about these details? Would love to read more about it.

bartread 5y ago

This is the closest story I found: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-35232827 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-35232827. But I do remember, and I'm sure it was also on the BBC, a piece several years ago where they demonstrated "physical buttons" the the form of reconfigurable raised bumps on a touch screen that was, I think, either on a phone or a small tablet. I just can't find it now unfortunately. If a company could get that to work well, and it was also robust in the face of day to day wear and tear, being dropped, etc. - and of course it wasn't incredibly expensive - I think they'd probably be on to a bit of a winner.

passivate 5y ago
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-panel-could-add-physical-buttons-to-a-touch-screen/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-pa...

whatshisface 5y ago

https://la.disneyresearch.com/publication/tactile-rendering-of-3d-features-on-touch-surfaces/ https://la.disneyresearch.com/publication/tactile-rendering-... Disney has been working on this, although their method is different from your proposal.

passivate 5y ago
This is the one I was thinking of.. https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-panel-could-add-physical-buttons-to-a-touch-screen/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/new-microfluidics-pa...

techrat 5y ago

>I wonder if in the future you could have micro-fluid channels underneath the screen where you can pump fluid to create raised bumps for the buttons. The problem with this technology is several-fold: 1) Areas that can be raised are fixed. 2) Liquids. 3) Do you like the feel of squeezing a zit when you press a button in a game? 4) Anything that uses this technology will not have a uniform looking screen, relegating the second screen to a sub-status compared to the first. 5) Microfractures due to repeated flex. 6) Scratches at 1 with deeper grooves at 2.

passivate 5y ago
Thanks for your comment! How did you learn about these details? Would love to read more about it.