Microsoft Patent To Offer Tactile Feedback On Displays

A new patent from Microsoft has surfaced and the idea could lead to touchscreens that could change its shape to create keyboards and other tactile objects, dubbed a technique for a “light-induced shape-memory polymer display screen”. It’s able to send ultraviolet light to a plastic layer above each pixel, changing its topography. Varying UV wavelengths would make different parts hard or soft, creating bumps and ridges that could feel like a real surface with tangible keys. This design could be used on hardware with projectors, such as the Microsoft Surface multi-touch table, though it might not be limited to devices with a projector only. Could this design mean that we’ll also get an improved typing system on touchscreen devices in the future?