Smart elastomeric films aid communication with virtual worlds
Researchers at Saarland University, Germany, are currently developing technology that allows humans and computers to communicate more naturally and more intuitively using highly flexible, ultrathin silicone films instead of games controllers or keyboards.
When their thin polymer film is integrated into an assembly operator’s glove or deposited onto a display screen, the film functions as an interactive mediator that can tell a computer system what the human operator wants while also providing tactile feedback to the user in the form of pulses, vibrations or taps, or audible feedback in the form of acoustic signals.
For the full story, see the May 2023 edition of Smart Textiles & Wearables.
Image: Oliver Dietze