MIT's Materiable Interface Can Mimic the Properties of Earth, Water and Human Bone
The practical applications are exciting.
MIT’s Tangible Media Group has unveiled the latest development in its shape-shifting interface display, known as Inform, with a new project: Materiable. The Materiable platform allows Inform to mimic the tactile and physical properties of materials—be it water, sand, rubber, earth or human flesh—which then reacts to stimuli with realistic simulated physics. This allows users to experiment with various applications of the technology: medical students can practice CPR, while geologists can see the seismic effects of earthquakes or erosion, for example. MIT’s preview video above showcases several of the modifiable variables, so you can watch a demo where the surface ripples like a lake or quivers, depending on the pixels’ chosen viscosity.
