Touchpanels That Don't Rely On Fingertip Movement

The Kajimoto Group at the University of Electro-Communications is doing research on a new type of input device. This technology uses electrical stimuli to create a phenomenon called the sliding illusion.While the fingertip is in contact with a surface, the user exerts a force in a certain direction, and is given an electrical stimulus that moves in the direction opposite to the force.

Although the fingertip isn't moving, the user feels as if the finger is sliding in the direction of the force. It's thought that this sliding illusion can be utilized to give the sensation of position-dependent data input, without the user having to move their finger.