McGill University in Montreal creates haptic floor

My source calls this an augmented reality floor tiles, but I don’t think this is really “augmented reality”. I’ve seen augmented reality as tech better used on webcams. This particular concept device allows your feet to have different sensations as you step.

Perhaps a better description of this product would be a modular “haptic” floor tiling system. It has a “deformable plate suspended on a platform”, which enables the user the ability to step on a floor with a different feel. I believe it works by using the plate and platform sensors that can detect forces from the foot, and then give off the proper vibrations to simulate the feeling of stepping on whatever you’re supposed to be stepping on. There is even top-down projection and speakers to use the visual and audio feedback.

Seriously, that’s what it does. I have no idea what you would use it for. I mean, do you need a floor that requires you to feel such surfaces as sand, snow, grass, or even pebbles?