Disney Research has been producing some incredible prototypes recently, including their interactive mobile projector. But the one that fascinates me is Aireal. It’s a tactile projector of sorts that blasts air out at such a speed and strength that users are given the sense of feeling a physical object or sensation.
It’s still deep in development, but this kind of gadget could have incredible applications in the real world. It could be used for incredible gaming experiences, where users can experience the same blows and sensations their characters are receiving onscreen. Imagine watching a movie scene only to feel the same wind in your hair or rain on your face.
The uses would only begin in entertainment. Imagine a doctor instructing a surgery from a different continent. A corresponding set of gloves could potentially transmit information, so that the instructor can feel the very same thing that the operating doctor is touching at that time.
All speculation of course, but it excites me that our world is discovering new and (most importantly) useful ways to use technology.
Walt would have been proud.
Image from rsodhi.com