The world has faced a revolutionary situation long ago when the classical buttons got replaced with touchscreens. The idea of rubbing your finger on a screen wasn’t received well by everyone, although it’s a far better way of communicating with your device.
But touchscreens will become obsolete sooner or later, just as the physical buttons did. And it’s not necessary to be a high-end tech employee to observe that the process has already begun. You can also control a lot of phones these days by simple gestures, or even literally by talking to them via a virtual assistant.
Virtual Reality may be the answer
Chris Harrison is the director of the Future Interfaces Group from Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute. He shares with us what technologies will replace touchscreens in the near future.
As Virtual Reality is not something new at all, it can actually become the default controlling method when it comes to smartphones and tablets. Devices could be simulating touch in virtual reality by transforming humans into living marionettes. Although we have to admit that it’s not so comfortable to wave your arms around for controlling a relatively small device, it could still be a progress. How about seeing multiple screens around you and getting the chance to interact with them while wearing a helmet, rather than controlling one single display? Or maybe Virtual Reality can assure the emerge of a much bigger screen right before your helmet, as you get multiple options than before.
Another idea is the use of laser projection for extending the touchscreen all the way up to the arm of the user.
Only time will tell what type of technology will replace the touchscreens for good. After all, we have to admit that touchscreens aren’t the best way of controlling a device when it comes to gaming.
