Multimodal Acoustic Trap Display (MATD)

A volumetric display powered by soundwaves able to create tactile 3D virtual designs. In order to generate tactile virtual images, an acoustic levitation process traps lightweight objects, such as a small 1-2 mm polystyrene bead, inside a box surrounded by an array of speakers. The speakers' acoustic signals then move the beads at considerable speed while illuminating them with red, green, and blue lights, creating 3D shapes that can be physically sensed. The image later passes through a secondary trap mounted on time-division multiplexing (TDM), which generates simultaneous auditive and tactile content.