Technology: Getting the Word by Skin

The modern airplane pilot is assaulted by vital information. His cabin is lined with instruments competing for his eyes' attention; into his ears stream insistent voices and electronic signals. As if all this were not enough, the pilot may soon be expected to react to communications coming through his skin. Far from being an added distraction, says Psychology Professor Frank A. Geldard of Princeton's Cutaneous Communications Laboratory, skin signals sent out by small electrical vibrators buzzing at the rate of 60 cycles per second, will take some of the burden off the pilot's saturated eyes and ears. A ring...

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