Perhaps getting us one step closer to 3D virtual reality worlds, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have made a device that allows people to receive tactile feedback from virtual objects on a computer. Said another way, this device allows people to 'feel' stuff thats on your computer screen, in a limited way.

The device uses magnetic levitation to manipulate a floating mouse-type human interface device. Depending on the virtual objects being handled, the 'mag-lev haptic mega-mouse' can communicate a sense of texture to the computer user. This device responds to movements, and changes its functionality depending on the situation involved. One example of this device in action could be in a remote, robotic control system a user could get a sense of texture from virtual objects, and the weight of the distant, real-world object could be translated into mag-lev feedback in this new mega-mouse.

The mag-lev mouse is useful even beyond it's haptic/texture translating ability. The user has six methods of manipulating the mouse: up and down, side to side, back and forth, as well as control over yaw, pitch and roll. Hmmm... the ultimate gaming mouse?

Ten prototypes of this mega-mouse currently exist. Six are being sent to various schools for research and demonstration around North America. All of the involved schools are members of the "Magnetic Levitation Haptic Consortium" -- a mysterious international organization that promotes the use of mag-lev.

"This is an affordable device that's also practical," a researcher was quoted as saying.

"The field of haptic research and development is expanding rapidly... [this] research opens new possibilities by joining the world of haptic feedback with a comfortable magnetic levitation interface. The magnetic levitation decouples the interface device from the mechanical world, eliminating friction, backlash, jump, sticking and other interfering effects, so that the user feels only the artificial environment in complete accuracy down to the micro scale," said a project manager attached to the project.