Press your finger on a cell-phone touch screen in 2007 and the screen could press right back. Immersion--a developer of tactile or haptic technologies--said today that it plans to license its new force-feedback technology to handset makers, to make virtual buttons on cell-phone screens.
Fans of Sony's PlayStation 2 or Microsoft's XBox are already familiar with the tactile reactions they feel in joysticks and steering wheels on their gaming consoles. Now the technology could move to mobile devices.
Built into a personal digital assistant or smart phone, a haptic (touch-responsive) screen doesn't actually flex against a user's finger, but a small electric motor behind it delivers a small tap. Combined with an audible "click" feature used in platforms like automated teller machines, the overall effect helps mimic a mechanical button on a digital screen.
