As McCullough argued that “the computer is inherently a tool for the mind and not for the hands” 20 years ago, this argument is still valid today. Despite computer has become more versatile in sizes and powerful in computing speed, the interaction between computer and human is mainly achieved through traditional graphical user interface(GUI). Even with the ubiquitous presence of touch-screen phones all over the world, the touch technology is still underdeveloped, limited to only point and drag. As McCullough pointed out, “the much ballyhooed ‘look and feel’ of contemporary computing is almost all look and hardly any feel.”

I had a chance to visit the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) early this year. At CMU, a tactile texture screen project addresses McCullough’s point on enriching the touching experience of human-computer interaction. They developed a new technology that could bring rich, dynamic tactile feedback to the touchscreens. The technology allows the users to actually “feel” virtual elements through touch. It is based on the electrovibration principle, which generates friction between the conductive touch interface and skin of the moving fingers across the screen, creating a variety of tactile sensations such as sticky, rubbery, or bumpy to the fingers. As the project’s webpage indicates, with combination of an interactive graphical display, this technology enables touch experiences with rich textures and physical affordances.

Touch brings a unique experience when we interact with the world. We enjoy the feeling of different tactile textures, and we explore the properties of objects that cannot be perceived otherwise. CMU’s electrostatic vibration technology comes very close to McCullough’s vision that “human-computer interaction is evolving toward much more satisfactory haptic engagement”. In particular, the technology could potentially benefit visually impaired people who are unable to enjoy the touch-screen technology. I truly hope that this kind of technology could be implemented in our daily lives soon.