ULTRAHAPTICS MEANS YOU CAN FEEL THE FUTURE NOW.
Massive namedrop alert One of the things I talked briefly with Gary Shapiro about, at the CES Unveiled event at London’s Groucho club recently (thank you, Summerhouse PR, for inviting me) was how genuine astrophysicists, NASA employees and other heavy duty scientists are of the correct age to have been inspired by the likes of Star Trek. I must have planted a minor nugget of ‘˜theme’ in Mr. Shapiro’s bonce, as he referred to this science fiction influence upon real-life developments in his brief address to the gathered journalists.
Funnily enough, I have referenced Mr. Gary, CEA guv’nor, in the past by describing his achievements and qualifications as being like Captain Kirk. (You do need to have seen the court-martial episode to get this reference..) After all, it is 1980s news now, that mobile phones were made to look like Star Trek communicators. They even got called StarTacs. And science has pursued the inspiration of science fiction since Jules Verne’s days.
The format at CES Unveiled is really clever. Four tables each hosted by a CEA member and with two chairs for folks we can call innovators. We get served a three course meal (always a winner, for Adam) but before each course, a brace of presentations. Each innovator gets six minutes of pitch and a few minutes Q&A.
We had gravimetric sensing boxing gloves to give even non-superstar fighters the same amazing movement analysis as Olympians and champions. We had an app to command all the devices in your homes’ connectivity, from your phone switching stuff on and off and getting at everythings’ settings. Kind of like One Ring to rule them all Vicki from Pure was only able to hint about a new DAB product coming in the new year, and there was a device to track your dog’s exercise rate! Then, the ‘˜Better Mousetrap’. A new, better design for the UK mains plug, incorporating a USB charger awesome.
But then, we had Heather from Ultrahaptics. I just learned from Becky at Summerhouse PR, that Heather was a bit apprehensive but you would not have known on the day. The concept of sensate ultrasound – noises you could not hear but could feel, controlled and shaped to make gesture control a thing that came with biofeedback, was the story.
This was explained simply and Heather actually used the term, ‘Force field.’
I nearly DIED! I said, ‘Did you just say FORCE FIELD?’
Ms. H. McD-T, said, ‘Yes.’
This is Tony Stark’s computer used to design Iron Man.. this is the miners of Pandora in AVATAR, using 3D software and flinging screens, data and operating stuff, all by gesture control waving their hands around in the air!
It is going to be in Jaguar cars and I honestly think it’ll be like buying shares in apple computers to get in now where can I buy some shares?
Here’s some tech, ‘˜cos I had to KNOW! First, here is the website of Ultrahaptics: Link
I gather the bones are that the parking sensor type ultrasonic transducers are used to beam their output at a frequency of 40kHz which, due to the very small wavelengths involved can be focussed to cause the skin to vibrate at up to 500Hz, when in the right spot, which is deep into the sensate zone. I was also told that Ultrahaptics are planning on having an audio application demo at their suites at next January’s International CES and was of course invited to go check it out, if I go
But even though this is very early stuff, the implications are vast. Tiny speakers by the dozens-per-square-inch (OK, centimetre) made just to tickle amazing new devices.
And while I think it was because it was a woman and we had not met before, I did of course refrain from the obvious corollary of which industry would be making software for ‘˜feely’ movies first. It is all over the comment threads under the other development videos on YouTube!
R&D Video from the Bristol University PhD this sprang from.genius! Despite the groovy music, this is heavy academe.
You read it here, first!