Most touchscreens simply deal with the everyday X and Y axes of navigation, but Sony Ericsson is developing a new kind of display that allows interacting on the Z axis as well, effectively allowing you to reach elements “inside” the UI. In this particular demo, icons moved faster or slower depending on how hard the screen was pressed, but obviously there are plenty of applications. Synaptics has already proven how compelling the illusion of 3D interaction can be, but the real closest example to this prototype is BlackBerry’s SurePress, found in the Storm series.
Sony Ericsson’s technology sounds like it could emulate a lot of functions that RIM is enabling with their clicking touchscreen, except with a finer gradient of sensitivity; they even use similar piezoelectronics to provide localized haptic feedback. The difference between the two is that Sony Ericsson is creating vibrations along the Z axis, while RIM simply stiffens the screen in order to lock out the click. It sounds like Sony Ericsson’s implementation of the concept might be more fluid and natural, but more demanding on battery life. Can’t wait to see it in a real phone!
[via TechOn]