The premise of a realistic hologram is no longer so far-fetched, but what about actually touching the thing? Researchers from The University of Tokyo have found a way.
The clip explains things better than we can, but researchers have essentially combined motion tracking, like you see in the Wii, with holograms, like you see on CNN, with ultrasonic waves, like we've seen before but can't really be seen.
Basically, these waves can pinpoint locations with incredible precision, and they're flexible enough to simulate varying textures. So you could interact with a virtual object that you could actually feel, a major hurdle in creating the fabled Holodeck (you know we couldn't get through this entire post without making the comparison).
Things are finally getting interesting, folks. [via CrunchGear]