Hologram

At the SIGGRAPH event in New Orleans this week, a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo is demo'ing a technology, dubbed the Airborne Ultrasound Tactile Display, that uses ultrasound technology to enable touchable holograms. "Although we can 'see' holographic images as if they are really floating in front of us, we cannot 'touch' them, because they are nothing but light," the team explains on SIGGRAPH's Web site. "This project adds tactile feedback to the hovering image in 3D free space. Tactile sensation requires contact with objects, but including a stimulator in the work space dilutes the appearance of holographic images.