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See the Web, Touch the Web?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the my-mind-has-drifted-far-afield dept.

Stephen Williams writes "Have a look at this BBC story. A mouse with tactile feedback (basically a built-in rumble pack) has been designed, apparently to enable Web users to "touch" what they see on the Web. I won't contemplate the uses that "adult" sites could put this to." The company is Immersion-the article's cheesy, but the thought's interesting.

4 of 53 comments (clear)

  1. Braille by Ratface · · Score: 2

    Could one build a form of "Braille" into pages using such a device? BHTML could allow bind users to use a tactile feedback device to read pages.

    Of course, the majority of pages would never catch up with such technology - even today, the careful use of ALT tags can make a page more readable for speaking browsers, but almost never actually do so!

    --

    A little planning goes a long way...
  2. Where did i hear about this before ? by _Spirit · · Score: 2

    I recall something on tv about this (might have been on the BBC :-) ) They showed a full GUI where you would feel more resistance if you dragged something on the screen. Someone who was interviewed even mentioned increasing resistance if something you were dragging was "heavy" for instance a folder containing a lot of data. Unfortunately I don't remember who was working on this. Anyone hear/see/read something on this ?

    Message on our company Intranet:
    "You have a sticker in your private area"

    --

    beauty is only a light switch away

    1. Re:Where did i hear about this before ? by Eccles · · Score: 2

      This is the Immersion FEELit mouse, which was first mentioned in the press in late '97. (Do a search on your favorite webcrawler.) It looks like they've finally gotten the deal down with Logitech to actually get them into production.

      I think it could be a useful part of the GUI; perhaps I'm just clumsy, but I miss the button I meant to hit, or drag the folder I just meant to open, or do other similar mistakes often enough for it to be annoying. Perhaps this would help.

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
  3. Dumb Article by Spyky · · Score: 2

    I'm sorry, this is a really DUMB article. Right right, I will be able to "feel" the tautness of the strings of the tennis racquet I am buying. Sure, whatever you say. What a GREAT benefit for e-commerce it will be. I'm sorry. Until they can link the web directly to my nervous system, and also fool my eyes into making me THINK I am looking at the tennis racquet, while feeling it, this kind of technology isn't going to help ANYONE "try" a product before they buy it. It might be great for interfaces (slight feedback as you move over buttons) and 3D simulations, and of course, games (first person shooters anyone?). The BBC needs to get some people who actually use computers to research these articles, sheesh.

    Spyky