At the touch of a non-existent button

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For years, the turn of a knob or the press of a button gave us the physical satisfaction and intuitive understanding that an on/off, increase/decrease type action had taken place. Then we adapted to the computer mouse and the way in which a horizontal movement could translate into a vertical one. 

A further leap was required with the rise of gesture technology, and while it has only been adopted in a limited number of situations, people are generally at ease with the wave of a hand turning on a tap in public toilets, or guiding a computer game. 

But what if the mid-air movement of gesture technology was combined with the tactile sensation of the push of a button? 

That is precisely what UK start-up Ultrahaptics is offering with its system manipulating highly accurate puffs of air to give the user a tactile experience without either a physical button or needing gloves or attachments. 

It ...