By regulating a flow of voltage to the surface of smooth touch screen, Disney researchers in Pittsburgh discovered that they can create the sensation of texture and three-dimensional surfaces. The technology can represent an artificial texture applied to an image, or elevation data extracted from topographical maps. Using the new technology developed by Disney Labs, a texture map of an image can be used to create the sensation of three dimensional surfaces on a flat touch screen. Photo courtesy of Disney Labs "Our brain perceives the 3D bump on a surface mostly from information that it receives via skin stretching," said Ivan Poupyrev, who directs Disney Research, Pittsburgh's Interaction Group. "Therefore, if we can artificially stretch skin on a finger as it slides on the touch screen, the brain will be fooled into thinking an actual physical bump is on a touch screen even though the touch surface is completely smooth," he said.