Fujitsu unveils prototype haptic sensory tablet and Stylistic S01 smartphone successor

Fujitsu has announced that it has developed an interesting sounding prototype haptic sensory tablet. The haptic sensory tablet is able to provide a sense of slipperiness or roughness when you touch the screen depending on the image being displayed. The technology behind that sensory experience was developed by Fujitsu Laboratories.

The tech uses ultrasonic vibrations to convey tactile sensations by varying the friction between the touchscreen display and the user's finger. The tech allows the screen to deliver the feeling of being either rough or smooth. Fujitsu says that the ultrasonic vibration creates a high-pressure layer of air between the screen surface and the fingertip that reduces friction.

By rapidly cycling that high and low friction effect, Fujitsu is able to give the user the illusion of a rough surface. This tech could go a long way towards giving on screen keyboards tactile feedback in the future. The tech is on display at MWC 2014 in Spain this week.

Fujitsu has also announced that this fall it will be unveiling a successor to the Stylistic S01 smartphone that was aimed at older users. Orange sold the original S01 smartphone in France. The new model will be LTE and NFC enabled with a quad-core CPU along with other features. It will also have a power saving display. No other specifications, pricing, or available details were offered.