'Smart Fingertips' Pave Way For Virtual Sensations

sciencehabit writes "Imagine feeling like you're lifting a 50-kilogram weight just by pulling at thin air. That's just one of the possible applications of new 'smart fingertips' created by a team of nanoengineers. The electronic fingers mold to the shape of the hand, and so far the researchers have shown that they can transmit electric signals to the skin. The team hopes to one day incorporate the devices into a smart glove that creates virtual sensations, fooling the brain into feeling everything from texture to temperature."

Comments

pr0n

[Anonymous Coward]

You were thinking it. Get it out of the way first.

Re:pr0n

[Anonymous Coward]

pr0n is what causes a lot of technical advances.
Come to think of it maybe most technological advances are caused to increase our entertainment.

Re:pr0n

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Yes, but the first version coming to market will only be able to play back electric torture porn. Anyway, this new invention gives the phrase "power at your fingertips" a whole new meaning.

Re:pr0n

[Kergan]

Or worse... Judge Dredd-like.

Re:pr0n

[flyneye]

O.K. I'll be the one to say it. The tip we are interested in virtualizing is NOT a finger.
This could be a disease free replacement for prostitution. You could virtualize any number of kinky situations.
We all KNOW what these nano scientists had in mind hehehehehehe...

Re:pr0n

[ciderbrew]

How much shock can you get from a USB port? I think I'll wait until SP2 before I try it.

Re:pr0n

[Walterk]

Aight, I put on my robe and wizard hat..

Re:pr0n

[GameboyRMH]

Trying makes you a brilliant pioneer. Keep at it.

Re:pr0n

[Ukab the Great]

My first thought was "terrifying dystopia where the mimes have won".

Re:pr0n

[spazdor]

try Ctrl-Plus and see if that makes the kerning any better?

ummmmm

[Anonymous Coward]

Tactile sensation =/= resistance... It's not going to feel like your lifting anything...

Re:ummmmm

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

It would be a bit more invasive; but actuating muscles with external electrical signals isn't exactly science fiction, and I suspect that you could get a surprisingly convincing feeling of resistance if you combined a bit of externally-induced muscle tension with a strong sensation of pressure on the skin surfaces supposedly in contact with the item.

It wouldn't be quite right, since, in absence of an actual weight, you'd need to stimulate the opposing muscle group as well to keep the user's hands from just flying upward wildly, which would lead to a somewhat odd distribution of muscular effort and soreness compared to the real thing; but I suspect that the addition of realistic skin-pressure cues and/or visual overlays could probably fake the user out fairly convincingly for lighter objects.

Re:ummmmm

[mister2au]

Exactly !

Who lifts 50kg with their finger tips anyway - not even a static 50kg could be simulated. And even if this is expanded to whole-of-hand can it really apply 500N of force ???

Fine motor control for remote applications - whole different story and a fantastic application ...

Re:ummmmm

[somersault]

Maybe they just mean they can make you hurt like hell. 50KG is a lot to support on your fingertips.

Re:ummmmm

[Forty Two Tenfold]

You support it against rock, not air. You can't simulate it by squeezing the fingertips, because it's obvious to the brain.

Re:ummmmm

[Forty Two Tenfold]

Nevermind, I failed at reading.

Re:ummmmm

[GameboyRMH]

50kg is a lot to pick up *period* for the average noodle-armed nerd.

Re:ummmmm

[somersault]

Since the demise of the CRT, I suppose that's true..

Nintendo

[rullywowr]

Didn't Nintendo already conquer this with the NES Power Glove?

Re:Nintendo

[MickyTheIdiot]

I take it you never had a power glove...

Re:Nintendo

[VortexCortex]

I take it you never had a power glove...

I take it you had the glove, but were not gifted with the power...

STFW

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry guys, I didn't rtfa, but doesn't our current hand have the ability to feel temps and textures?

Re:STFW

[f3rret]

Sorry guys, I didn't rtfa, but doesn't our current hand have the ability to feel temps and textures?

Nope.

Re:STFW

[jsepeta]

so clapping would be unsafe behavior, smashing heavy stuff together?

isn't this a fairly old idea?

[Trepidity]

I suppose this one is more miniaturized, but "virtual reality" and "haptics" people have been trying this sort of thing for a while, without having yet really come up with a compelling win. Here is a 1995 Popular Science article about a device that takes basically the same approach to characterizing what constitutes texture perceived by fingertips (by simulating sliding/bumpiness/resistance/stickiness). Available for only $20,000! And a 1996 textbook devoted large sections to the topic as well.

Nanoengineers!

[fearofcarpet]

Wow, those are some tiny engineers! I wonder what they eat?

Re:Nanoengineers!

[VortexCortex]

HUGE BUDGETS!

Nano, eh?

[T Murphy]

a team of nanoengineers

I think the politically correct term would be "vertically challenged engineers".

Re:Nano, eh?

[camperdave]

a team of nanoengineers

I think the politically correct term would be "vertically challenged engineers".

When, oh when, will we be able to live in a world where the "nano-ness" of an engineer is no longer noteworthy? Do you really want to live in a world where it is okay to deride someone with comments like "From small minds come small ideas", or "She uses CGS because MKS is too big for her", or "Why are you crying? Got a Planck in your eye?", and the like? Think of the wee children.

Re:Nano, eh?

[VortexCortex]

a team of nanoengineers

I think the politically correct term would be "vertically challenged engineers".

So, they're essentially two dimensional? How strange.

only needed to read the title

[gsgriffin]

To know exactly where the comments on this post were going to start...and probably finish...with a bang

Nothing can go wrong with this.

[RivenAleem]

So, how long before someone comes up with a torture device that can fool your body into thinking it's on fire?

Re:Nothing can go wrong with this.

[Jade_Wayfarer]

Actual hot iron would be much simpler and cost-effective. Plus you can always iron your shirt with it. Or, since this is Slashdot, use the soldering-copper for this purpose (not for the ironing, of course).

Re:Nothing can go wrong with this.

[RivenAleem]

But if you can transfer the impression of being on fire, without physically injuring the subject, then you go much further with the torture, until, I suspect, the person just goes loo-la.

Re:Nothing can go wrong with this.

[GameboyRMH]

Been done:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System

Re:Nothing can go wrong with this.

[GameboyRMH]

You're thinking of sonic weapons which are a different thing (although they look kind of similar). This is a microwave weapon.

Take the Red Pill!

[jsepeta]

Welcome to the Matrix.

Wow!

[Anonymous Coward]

I love the Penisglove. It's so bad.

Viruses

[caspy7]

Patiently awaiting the day there's malware that makes you feel like your hands are on fire.

The Comedian-It's only a matter of time, I suppose

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Greaaaaaaaattt...more threads to stay away from on 4chan.

"What happened to your hand?" "Hackers."

[Havenwar]

A glove that makes me feel sensations is great and all, but I do hope it comes with some pretty heavy security limitations and so on... Wouldn't want some hacker to get access to my machine and burn my hand, or shock it, or even just cause extremely unpleasant sensations to it as a form of blackmail or just for kicks. Sure, "just take it off"... not so easy if both your hands are spasming because you feel they are stuck into a fire or something.

Re:"What happened to your hand?" "Hackers."

[neminem]

If it were just the sensation, and didn't actually cause your hand to be burned or shocked or whatever... I bet you'd have a new untapped market for that. An... adult market, let's say.

Re:"What happened to your hand?" "Hackers."

[Havenwar]

First off, to the people you are referring to it wouldn't matter if they were actually shocked and burned or whatever. They do that for fun. Secondly, they don't find it fun when it happens to them non-consensually, e.g. because their system was hacked. Which is what this thread is about - the porn thread you'll find higher up.

As for whether it matters if the sensations are caused by the stimuli - no it doesn't. Your body still reacts to pain whether it's real or not. if you perceive you are being shocked or burned, then that's what your body will react to. That's a horrible power to put in the hands of someone with access to your computer.

Re:"What happened to your hand?" "Hackers."

[Havenwar]

I feel that the fact that people modded this funny really proves that this is a valid concern.

Re:"What happened to your hand?" "Hackers."

[Havenwar]

Well I have to wonder though, at that point we probably have the technology to introduce the mental scarring directly. I.e. to confuse and disorient people with chemicals or certain signals in ways that mean torture is needless. More akin to just hacking the psyche directly rather than brute forcing it, I suppose.

50kg with one finger?

[Cyko_01]

I'm no strong-man but I need to use at least my hand and arm to do that.

Damn Lawnmower men...

[VortexCortex]

...Get off my Lawn!

Falling, floating, and flying? So, what's next, fucking?

Downloadable sensation samples

[P-niiice]

*****FILE LIST****** 1. semi.erect.nipplev1.0-PRONSTARS 2. saucer.nipplev3.0-PRONSTARS 3. fully.erect.nipplev12.0-PRONSTARS 4. . . and so on