Technology can now offer visitors to museums the chance to interact in a new way with objects that they could previously only see. 

Touching the Untouchable is a research cluster, led by Dr Linda Hurcombe from the University of Exeter, which has brought together specialists in the areas of textile archaeology, museum display and computer interfaces.  The aim of the project has been to establish what is currently achievable in virtual handling and what technologies and techniques need further development. 

'There are lots of objects in museums that it is impossible for people to touch and to engage with because they would damage them,' explains Dr Linda Hurcombe, 'but some of the technology that exists could mean that in the not too distant future people could have haptic devices, which could mean that you could reach people in their own homes.

The project is funded by the Science and Heritage programme, which is a collaboration between the AHRC and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).  For more information about the Science and Heritage programme please see the Science and Heritage section of our website.

Running time: 4 minutes. File size: 9.4mb

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