Full FeedImmersion thinks haptic feedback is the future of touchscreens
“People like feeling things.” That’s probably Immersion’s thinking as they explain the future of computers. They also might think since they are a haptic technology developer that haptic feedback will be everywhere. What’s haptic feedback? It’s when you receive tactile feedback—like an area of a surface vibrating when you press it.
Immersion was showing off concept devices at the All Things Digital conference. The devices are supposed to make touchscreens feel more like traditional keyboards. Also shown off was “Immersive Messaging.”
The video demo shows off a scenario where you can gesture a heart to your spouse’s mobile device and she can receive it. If someone is touching their mobile device while you are messaging them, you may be able to feel it. While I see lots of other applications for this kind of thing, this seems incredibly gimmicky. They are probably right about their keyboard concept. Their Immersive Messaging product will probably find its way into phones since everything else already has.
Company Site: [Immersion]
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From an information architecture and product design perspective, giving a user immediate feedback regarding an action they perform on a device or interface is critical to the user’s satisfaction and sense of interactivity, not a gimmick. I understand why the iPhone is so successful in spite of its lack of haptic feedback, but I think it would be an even more attractive product if it incorporated elements to simulate the feel of buttons on the device.
on May 30, 2009 at 12:07 PM - LINK