You might be enjoying an "electrorheological fluid device" with your
PS4. As complicated as that sounds, the concept is fairly simple - it's
an material which is thin and flat enough to be rolled or folded, but
can become rigid by running a small electrical current through it.
Sony has filed a patent for the technology which it cites could have
applications for gaming. Imagine a future iteration of the PSP which
could essentially be rolled up like a scroll and put in your pocket, or
a controller that has areas which change shape and consistency based on
in-game actions.
One potential scenario cited in the application:
"The electrorheological fluid device can be applied to, for example,
part of a controller of a home-use game machine as another example of
the electronic apparatus of the present invention. A user touches a
control section of the controller by fingers, and the feeling of touch
is controlled by the electrorheological fluid device. For example, if a
game player is defeated in a fighting game, the electrorheological
fluid device is controlled to become soft in order to improve the
realistic sensations in the game."
Of course, this technology can also be used in a wide range of other
devices and has far-reaching implications for portability and "4D"
gameplay (in entertainment terms, tactile engagement with the fictional
world). The implementation is far off, but it bodes well for exciting
new possibilities beyond the traditional controller.
You can check out the patent here.
Cavin Smith
June 12, 2006
Source:
PSX Extreme