JOIN USScientists have developed a novel transparent see-through wall which can allow you to 'touch' the person on the other side.
The wall could enhance a users shopping experience. Shoppers can not only see the products displayed at store windows but also touch them to get a feel.
The TransWall is a two-sided, touchable, and transparent display wall and contains an incorporated surface transducer, offering audio and vibrotactile feedback to the users. As a result, people can collaborate via a shared see-through display and communicate with one another by talking or even touching one another through the wall.
A holographic screen film is inserted between the sheets of plexiglass, and beam projectors installed on each side of the wall project images that are reflected.
TransWall developed by the researchers at The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is touch-sensitive on both sides. Two users standing face-to-face on each side of the wall can touch the same spot at the same time without any physical interference.
When this happens, TransWall provides the users with specific visual, acoustic, and vibrotactile experiences, allowing them to feel as if they are touching one another.
"TransWall concept enables people to see, hear, or even touch others through the wall while enjoying gaming and interpersonal communication," said Woohun Lee, a professor of Industrial Design at KAIST.
"TransWall can be installed inside buildings, such as shopping centers, museums, and theme parks, for people to have an opportunity to collaborate even with strangers in a natural way," Lee said.
TransWall will be useful in places that require physical isolation for high security and safety, germ-free rooms in hospitals, for example, he said. TransWall will allow patients to interact with family and friends without compromising medical safety.