At first glance, tactile illusions seem like a silly thing to pursue, other than being an interesting conversation piece at a party. But there’s actually a practical side to why tactile illusions are being pursued, and could lead to expanded breakthroughs as well.
The primary generators of research and interest at this time are blind people, cell phones and video game applications.
For blind people, the goal is to make it easier for them to access information by advancing interfaces.
Concerning consumer devices, vibrations on your cell phone and the feel of a video game controller shaking is part of the result of applying the principles behind tactile illusions in a practical manner.
Some of the application goals of the near future are to develop interfaces where you can tell who is calling you on your phone by feel, along with being able to identify the music on your music player by touch.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Tactile Feedback
- The pursuit of practical applications of tactile illusions to develop interfaces that use vibrations for blind people, consumer devices, and video game applications.
- Enhanced Accessibility
- The goal to enhance accessibility for the blind community by incorporating tactile illusions into interfaces of electronic devices.
- Multisensory Input
- Developing interfaces that allow users to identify incoming calls and music by feel, using a combination of tactile and auditory input.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Mobile Devices
- Incorporating tactile illusions to improve the user experience of mobile devices and enhance accessibility for the visually impaired.
- Video Game
- Incorporating tactile illusions to enhance the gaming experience, making it more immersive for gamers.
- Music Technology
- Incorporating tactile illusions to allow users to identify songs and navigate their music library without using visual cues.
