An increasing number of proposals are being made for entirely new methods of tactile feedback, and new technologies are appearing to utilize them alone or in conjunction with existing techniques. Toshiba Information Systems (Japan) Corp. of Japan has prototyped a device based on a technology that utilizes weak electric fields to express a variety of tactile sensations. Until now, tactile feedback technology has usually meant using a small motor or piezoelectric device to generate vibration, with very few examples of electric field variation as the mechanism.
The new technique not only expresses a variety of sensations, it is also highly break-resistant, and because it has no mechanical parts it makes no vibration noise. It operates in any situation, and can be used even in places where conventional technologies are difficult to implement, such as on the sides or backs of equipment, or even on curved surfaces. The area where the sensation is felt can also be controlled freely, so that for example it is possible to provide tactile feedback when touching a button displayed on a screen.
More information:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/HONSHI/20100723/184468/
More information:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/HONSHI/20100723/184468/