Nokia develops 'true' touchscreen key feedback
updated 01:30 pm EST, Tue November 6, 2007
Nokia touchscreen feedback
After 10 years in development, Nokia has at last developed a true feedback technology for touchscreens, a senior program manager at the company has revealed. Dubbed "Haptikos," it currently replicates the feeling of typing on a real keyboard through a combination through sound effects, an extra sensor layer, and a slight give in the touchscreen itself. A demonstration N770 for instance uses two piezoelectric sensor pads found underneath the screen, which has a 0.004-inch give to allow users to press down. As users type, speakers emit both the "in" and "out" sounds of keys in motion.
The first commercial application of Haptikos will reportedly be the upcoming S60 Touch phone, but this will not represent the full implementation of the technology. The program manager says that Nokia intends to expand Haptikos for functions such as scrolling, drawing and painting, the difficulty being that these require slower, more sensitive response. [via The Red Ferret Journal]
