Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have demonstrated a display technology that renders dynamic graphics that can be both seen and physically felt, according to a new study published in Science Robotics. The work introduces thin optotactile surfaces populated with millimeter-scale pixels that rise into perceptible bumps when struck by brief pulses of projected light.
The project began with a simple question UCSB Professor Yon Visell posed in 2021: could the same light that draws an image also generate a mechanical response strong enough to be felt? After a year of modeling and unsuccessful prototypes, UCSB's Max Linnander produced a working proof of concept in late 2022. A single pixel, actuated only by flashes from a small diode laser and containing no embedded electronics, generated a clear tactile pulse when touched.
