14 DAY TRIAL // For the most part, display technologies today use solid matter, but there have been some design concepts that tried to free themselves of it, like steam-based screens that use a projector to create an image a la the BatSignal.
However, the true dream of immaterial display technology, the magic of holograms continues to elude us, no matter how awesome movie tech tends to be.
We're still not nearly close to producing holographic display technology, but that doesn't mean that people aren't trying to achieve just that anyway.
In fact, Yasuaki Monnai and his team from the University of Tokyo have come really, really close to creating something of the sort.
The display made of air and ultrasound
Maybe we shouldn't be calling this thing a display, but a technology that simulates the functionality of a display technology familiar to us.
At present, touchscreens are the way to go for everyone wishing to interact with technology in anyway, not counting voice control, headsets, ring mice, etc.
Not surprising, considering that “within reach” has been a metaphor for “achievable” since the golden days of the English language.
Gesture control is a pretty popular up-and-coming tech interaction system too, so the team of Japanese researchers tried to combine the two concepts.
The result is the HaptoMime, a “screen” which uses reflective surfaces to create a holographic image in the air.
Then, to make it feel as though you're actually touching that display, ultrasonic transducers beam out high-frequency sound towards your fingertips. That sound causes the sensation of pressure, effectively simulating haptic feedback. In layman’s terms, it allows you to feel as though you're touching the light, even if that's not what's really happening.
The holographic display concept is rough around the edges, to say the least, but it's the best application of the reflective surface approach we've ever seen. We're calling it the untouchable touchscreen just for kicks.
The specs of the untouchable touchscreen
The image quality is atrocious honestly, compared to LCDs, OLEDs and AMOLEDs, but everything has to start somewhere. Besides, if it's enough to read 6 point Times New Roman font and let someone play a toy keyboard, then it's already better than most other attempts and holoscreens.
We won't be seeing a holodeck any time soon, since those things from Star Trek can actually become solid, but at least we're getting started on the right track. Kitchens, theaters and conference rooms might see applications in the not too distant future.
