This paper-thin wafer may be the next big thing in force feedback
This seems like a pretty cool technology for gaming controllers and mobile devices in general. Here’s how it works:
The haptic effects in this case are created by a “dialectric elastomer film” sandwiched between two layers of electrodes. The electrodes contract when electric current is introduced, causing movement. You still need mass in order to give the player a satisfying feeling of movement and rumble, and in most of the devices we saw—such as a concept cell phone and a modified iPad—the mass was supplied by the device’s battery. Vivitouch is able to use the existing components of the device to create rumble, instead of the metal weights used by most game controllers and portable devices.
