The Washington Post reports that Disney is working on a touchscreen that lets you feel textures.

“The technology is called ‘tactile rendering of 3D features,’ and an early version of a rendering algorithm has already been developed by engineers at Disney Research in Pittsburgh. The process behind it is, predictably, both technical and confusing, but the basic premise is that small, electronic pulses can trick your fingers into perceiving bumps and texture, even if the surface is actually flat.”

The right amount of voltage makes you feel ridges, edges, protrusions or bumps!

Check out the video.

My take: This reminds me of the feelies in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Science fact catches up to science fiction!