Disney develops algorithm for rendering 3D tactile features on
touch surfaces  Posted by Thomas Anderson   By altering the
friction encountered as a person's fingertip glides across a
surface, the Disney algorithm can create a perception of a 3D
bump on a touch surface without having to physically move the
surface. The method can be used to simulate the feel of a wide
variety of objects and textures.   "Our brain perceives the 3D
bump on a surface mostly from information that it receives via
skin stretching," said Ivan Poupyrev, who directs Disney
Research, Pittsburgh's Interaction Group. "Therefore, if we can
artificially stretch skin on a finger as it slides on the touch
screen, the brain will be fooled into thinking an actual
physical bump is on a touch screen even though the touch surface
is completely smooth."    The model was then incorporated into
an algorithm that dynamically modulates the frictional forces on
a sliding finger so that they match the tactile properties of
the visual content displayed o