( CNN ) UltraHaptics is a young company with a big dream : changing the way we interact with electronic devices . Their technology creates tactile three-dimensional shapes literally out of thin air , using ultrasound . The company 's tagline says it all : `` Feeling without touching . '' Through an emission of sound waves , sensations are projected through the air and to the user . Changes in air pressure are perceived as suspended tactile surfaces , creating invisible -- but tangible -- interfaces . This already sounds quite intriguing , but paired with another rising technology it has the potential to become a game changer . The rising tide of virtual reality seems unstoppable : Facebook 's Oculus Rift and Magic Leap are leading the pack , but several other companies are readying devices in a field that could shake the foundations of electronic entertainment . But even though it is incredibly convincing , virtual reality completely bypasses the sense of touch : applying UltraHaptics ' technology to it would allow users to not just see the virtual world projected in front of their eyes , but to touch it as well . Tom Carter , UltraHaptics ' CTO , sees potential in the merging of these technologies : `` The ability to put on your virtual reality goggles and not just explore visually and through your headphones , but also touch what you can see , is a really exciting possibility , '' he told CNN 's Nick Glass . Creating buttons and shapes literally anywhere they 're needed opens up a slew of possibilities for more traditional devices as well . `` Imagine the dashboard of a car having no buttons , no switches , no ugly controls : just a very nice , sleek dashboard . `` If you 're driving and you want to have the music up for example , you do n't have to take your eyes off the road , you just hold your hand out and the controls stick to your hand , so you can feel them . '' Smartphones and other popular devices could also see benefits : controlling appliances in the kitchen , using TVs and computers in a style reminiscent of the movie `` Minority report '' , or even snoozing the alarm in the morning would all become just a matter of waving your hands . ( This probably would n't be the most virtuous application of the technology . ) Several devices can already be controlled with gestures , but UltraHaptics add an extra layer of feedback , by generating the sensation of a force field : `` Haptics is more than just the sense of touch . It 's really all of the information that you get from the sense of touch . What you 're feeling , what sort of pressure , the tactile sensation given by an object or surface . You also know where your limbs are and how they 're moving , all from the sense of touch . It 's all this information that cues how you 're interacting with the world , '' Carter said . To create their invisible buttons , UltraHaptics use a small collection of ultrasonic speakers , concentrating the sound waves to a specific point . Sound travels through air by creating a pressure differential , so by focusing several of these differentials to a target location , the result is a single localized spot of high pressure . `` If you put your hand in the way , it actually emits enough of a force on your hand to slightly displace your skin . `` We use that and control it to vibrate your skin , and give you this feeling . What you eventually get is a sensation of vibration on your hands , '' Carter explained . With the current prototype , the smallest point that can be created is 8.5 millimeters in diameter , but the shape can be morphed into a surface , creating different textures over a single `` object '' by differentiating the pressure levels . Other companies are working on similar projects , such as Elliptic Labs , and the interest around the technology already appears to be strong . UltraHaptics , who have already built several prototypes and have demoed the technology to the public at the last CES in Las Vegas , say they are working with 15 to 20 clients who are looking to incorporate tactile ultrasound into their products . `` We have everything from consumer electronics companies making things like speakers , radios , alarm clocks , through home appliance companies making cooker hoods , washing machines , to virtual reality in gaming companies . And we were very surprised at how keen the automotive industry is to work with us , '' Carter said . `` I 'd like to believe that the first product featuring our technology will be on the shelves in a year , that 's our aim . '' Read more from Make , Create , Innovate : . Great photos from the world 's smallest satellites . So long , transistor : How the 'memristor ' could revolutionize electronics . Laser procedure can turn brown eyes blue .
A company called UltraHaptics has developed a technology to create 3D shapes in mid-air . A tactile sensation is provided by ultrasonic waves , which alter air pressure . The technology could be applied to electronic devices , car dashboards , and virtual reality headsets .