High-tech Sony patent has gaming potential

New technology to change hardness, tension, shape of an object using electrical charges has possible gaming applications.

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Barry Fox over at New Scientist makes a habit of rooting through patents, and his latest gathering of the new and novel ideas includes a Sony effort that might have big implications for games.

Sony's US Patent application 20060099808 describes an "electrorheological fluid device and an electronic apparatus, which realize satisfactorily changeable hardness or tension in a portion of the device or apparatus which a human body touches, enabling application to a product that needs to have portability."

Basically, the patent describes electronic devices and displays that are flexible enough to be rolled up or folded when not in use, but become rigid when a small electric current is passed through them. The application lists wide-ranging uses for the technology, and suggests it could be applied to cell phones, PDAs, PCs, remote controls, clocks, glasses, and even game systems.

"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."

As of press time, Sony representatives had not responded to GameSpot's requests for comment on the patent's planned uses.

356 Comments

  • g-master999

    Posted Jun 19, 2006 2:21 pm PT

    Right, right.
    I read in an article that someday there could exist sheet-like TVs, but i never would have guessed an electric current would make it harden. That's pretty cool.

  • zeonne

    Posted Jun 16, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^ to damariofan
    do ur research kid, microsoft rips sony more then sony does nintendo.....

  • MarcjinJaume

    Posted Jun 15, 2006 12:18 pm PT

    For me it's obvious that the controllers that we have nowadays are too limited in comparison to the possibilities that a next gen game could have.
    An alternative would be using that strange suits that are used to make animation movies combined with virtual reality but that also has disadvantages. I've got other alternatives in mind but I don't want people to think that I'm mad so I'll reserve them to myself

  • damariofan

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 5:06 pm PT

    wow, theyre not actually copying microsoft or nintendo this time.

  • fxmldr999

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 2:01 pm PT

    Sounds like a move in the right direction to me.

  • frostlee

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 12:21 pm PT

    Yo if they don;t show it being used a Tokyo Game Show i don't think they'll use it on the controller that would be good though sony needs their own innovation so what we took the wii's motion sensory and we took the xbox 360 home button they took it from us first the PSP had it first and no one really knows what the PS Logo thing will do yet and here more on the controller thing http://ps2.ign.com/articles/712/712149p1.html

  • devilone

    Posted Jun 14, 2006 10:13 am PT

    check this link for more on this tech. http://eink.com/products/matrix/High_Res.html

  • bloodstoneangel

    Posted Jun 13, 2006 11:53 am PT

    interesting idea imagine its uses in total immersion VR clothing that reacts to touch in the game

  • jaefrmbk2k

    Posted Jun 13, 2006 11:11 am PT

    as long as it pleases Jesus

  • Mcortijo01

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 1:50 pm PT

    Sounds good to me. They should give it a try, what's the worst that can happen? If it fails it fails at least they tried to do something different.

  • gitaruman

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 1:18 pm PT

    Whether this makes it to production or not, and what form it takes remains to be seen. But I like the fact that Sony is on the leading edge of new technology and look forward to seeing what they can come up with.

  • MaddDawg32

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 12:00 pm PT

    Yeah.. I'm not sure about it's uses with gaming but I think that it has a lot more potential with other practical life applications and future technological uses. If true it definately has potential.

  • vamroc

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 11:38 am PT

    There was an article writen about this substance I think it was call polypaper do to the fact that you could make huge rolls of it. The process to make it was similar to paper only instead of wood you used conductive polymers that were sandwiched in between thin layers of sillicon

  • CLeRKSfan4life

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 11:30 am PT

    WTF?

  • emadayag

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 11:00 am PT

    is this the rumble pack replacement?

  • dorris123456

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 10:11 am PT

    hmm if you wrapped it around your head you could get a simple 360 degree screen

  • bob_dartagnan

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 9:52 am PT

    Ah! Its a sex toy! Good Job Sony!! The Internets for Porn!

  • Kiaininja

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 8:31 am PT

    They could use this technology for a DDR dance pad that you can roll out and hardens into a platform to dance on. That would be COOL!

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 8:19 am PT

    But really, who cares? Sure it sounds cool, but will it have tons of glitches, not work right, and probably break..... yes. Sony doesn't have a good track record with new inventions.

  • Seraphim_24

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 7:45 am PT

    Finally! A seemingly original idea from Sony! See Sony? Doesn't it feel good to come up with your own ideas, rather than stealing your competitors?

  • Seifer_Denmark0

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 7:12 am PT

    JimBones0 : ''This proves that Sony doesn't have a clue on how to innovate (hence, they copy). Nintendo's ideas later become industry standards. This "innovation", well... it's nuts.''

    that's almost the same thing as saying: every single console ever to be created(or have been) are nothing but NES ripoffs.

  • shizwill03

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 5:59 am PT

    Whatever that is it sounds pretty damn cool.

    But when or IF this gets formed into some sort device is the real question.

    Probably far off towards the next generation in 4-5 years.

  • GKBeetle

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 5:54 am PT

    Sony is just doing this to try and copy Batman! Why don't they think up an original idea. LOL!!! I hope nobody thinks I'm serious.

    Anyway, no idea how this could be used for gaming. hopefully someone can use it for something cool for gamers. Sounds too high tech to be used just for games, however, but who knows.

  • venus577

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 5:45 am PT

    DDR pads with the portability of softpads, but the durability of hard pads anyone?

  • confu2000

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 5:24 am PT

    A potential use for something like this is in force feedback. It gives the possibility of a thin strip you could say put in a glove. Apply electricity and the strip stiffens and as a result pushes on your finger in the glove.

    Alternatively, use it as a backing for buttons. Apply current and the button becomes harder to push.

  • nathanfist

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 5:00 am PT

    Now this is an innovation for Sony. Throw out the motion sensetive controller, that's Nintendo's. This..... is something new and add more realism in the game.

  • dodgyd55

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 3:48 am PT

    :
    pedro_magalhaes
    Haha this is funny. Did anyone see Batman Begins? Batman's wings used the same idea. They get hard when current goes through them. Anyway, let's see what they can do with it.
    lol i was thinking the same thing

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 2:40 am PT

    I don't see it doing real well at all for games or anything, but more power to them if they want to take a risk by using this technology in any of their company divisions. Hell, they can make clothes that fold with a touch with this; no risk in that.

  • philho

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 2:31 am PT

    It's not that bad an idea to me, but i honestly can't see it being a popular feature, or really feasible in general for gaming. Good luck to them if they use it, but i just don't think it'd really make that big a difference to gaming, it could well be too hard to control perfectly and make realistic textures.

  • Andron666

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 2:23 am PT

    It would be stupid to dismiss this idea right out.

    You never know how things might turn out.

  • miggidy24

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 1:39 am PT

    Ok so first Sony creates the world first DP sex toy controller. And now they might be working on a joystick that can go from soft to hard?

    LOL....
    Bad Sony, bad.
    Ken Kutaragi you perverted old man you hahaha....

  • solidskorpion

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 9:32 pm PT

    whatever it is, they should call it the Sony "Sushi" !!!

  • DieHardTWB

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 8:37 pm PT

    Sounds more science fiction than science fact.

  • mad_tyger

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 7:10 pm PT

    Weird . . . it would be cool if it worked . . . if it worked . . .

  • dmon8988

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 7:03 pm PT

    i doubt sony means it for games.

  • rbarahona

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 5:49 pm PT

    WOW!!! That would definitely be another kind of interfacing with the games. It would be very nice if Sony could develop a controller for the PS3 with this technology.

  • fjp500

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 5:30 pm PT

    ugh its ok i guess but what if sum1 keeps it rolled up for a long time will it be like paper it wont stay straight anymore get back to me on that cuz i want to know

  • brothaval

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 5:29 pm PT

    meh, i'd like to see how this drives the PS3's price range up (anyone up for paying $800 for a console?)

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 5:07 pm PT

    sounds kinda cool. too bad sony has a patent on it. (sony is dead)

  • DeathgiverX

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 4:51 pm PT

    I apologize in advance for the nerdy anime reference, but:

    Realistic G Gundam battles anyone? That is what came to my mind first.

  • skeetz1609

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 3:52 pm PT

    wow that picture is inspirational

  • tubbablubba

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 3:32 pm PT

    ... makes no sense to me

  • CaptainLunchbox

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 2:01 pm PT

    this is like memory metals and fabrics and plastics. i dont see how this is a "Sony Innovation"...

  • De_Theodorus

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 1:48 pm PT

    Now this sounds like a smart idea. I'm SO gonna lose my tv in a corner of my room. :s

  • jonnyjd

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 1:20 pm PT

    I would like to know how they intend to use this.

  • ZakoZako311

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 1:01 pm PT

    Sounds alright but I feel this type of patent would have more use in things other then entertainment purposes. It might be used in medical or military manners. This could have a larger future then to amuse us.

  • imop45

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 12:45 pm PT

    OK, I couldn't find the link, but I deputed in 2003.

  • Frizkit

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 12:31 pm PT

    ELECTRORHEOLOGICAL FLUID DEVICE...mmm.............................................................................................................

    WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY!!!
    GO SONY

  • imop45

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 12:25 pm PT

    They can't make a role up TV, because it has already been made, and that company has all of the patents!!!

  • imop45

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 12:22 pm PT


    bdavenport said:
    "this technolodgy isnt new. "

    That's right. They already have an LCD screen (patented obviuosly) that's made out of this material. It's about 5 years old! I have a link to this stuff, also. The screen can roll up while an image is being showed. It looks good to, although it's Black & White only and uses very little electricity, which is great for portable things.

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