'9D TV' research money awarded to University of Sussex team
A research team at the University of Sussex has been awarded £1m to develop technology which may lead to a "9D TV".
Researchers have been using a system called Ultrahaptics to pinpoint areas of the hand that could be stimulated to evoke different emotions.
Dr Marianna Obrist, lecturer at the department of informatics, has been awarded the money from the European Research Council.
It will pay for a five-year study to expand research into taste and smell.
Dr Obrist said her team's research showed that happiness, sadness, excitement or fear could be stimulated without the hand making physical contact with another human.
She said short, sharp bursts of air to the area around the thumb, index finger and middle part of the palm generated excitement.
Sad feelings were created by slow and moderate stimulation of the outer palm and the area around the little finger.
Dr Obrist said: "Relatively soon, we may be able to realise truly compelling and multi-faceted media experiences, such as nine-dimensional TV, or computer games that evoke emotions through taste.
"Longer term, we will be exploring how multi-sensory experiences can benefit people with sensory impairments."