Game Controller with Skin Stretch Feedback 8 Mar 2012

This videogame controller, created by the University of Utah's Haptics and Embedded Mechatronics Laboratory, provides "fingertip skin stretch feedback" (or "shear feedback") via its thumbsticks. In other words, the surfaces of the thumbsticks subtly stretch the skin of your fingertips to create different sensations.

How might this technology be applied? It could be used to direct the gamer's (user's) attention towards things happening in different areas of the screen. Or it could create the illusion of "collision, recoil from a gun, the feeling of being pushed by ocean waves, or crawling prone in a first person shooter game."

[via geek.com]