The technology in the Iron Man movies aren't real. At least, not yet. And not all of them too. Stark's computer displays appear in mid-air on command, and there are no physical display devices around. He just uses his hands to interact with the interface, touching things that aren't tangible.

We may be close to that sort of tech. Ultrahaptics uses sound waves to create the sensation of touch when no touch is actually present.

The device uses ultrasound transducers to create sound waves at a high frequency. They create isolated changes in air pressure which mimic the sensation of touch. All this without any physical object.

The tech was developed by a team at the University of Bristol who demonstrated how the system works with a display that projects the sound waves. The team also discovered that by changing the vibration, they can create different kinds of sensations.

Ultrahaptics could also be used on smartphones which could make a touchscreen phone respond to touch as if it had a physical keyboard.

It's crazy impressive, and while we're no where near Tony Stark's display in the movies, we're sure as heck getting there already.

Via University of Bristol