OLPC XO-2 Will Love You Back With Haptic Feedback and Multitouch

OLPC’s upcoming wonder laptop, the XO-2, will have multi-touch and haptic feedback, according to a Mary Lou Jepsen of Pixel Qi, who designed the original’s innovative indoor/outdoor display, and is charged with making the XO-2’s dual touchscreens happen. Additionally, the touchscreen capabilities will be integrated directly into the LCD, rather than relying on a secondary display layer to sense inputs, as used on most current touch screen devices (including the iPhone).

When asked about the possibility of tactile feedback for the keyless device, the spokesperson revealed that the company was “working on it.” The second generation of the child-oriented budget laptop, announced last week, is more ambitious than the first, claiming full multi-touch capability and a price target of $US75. The OLPC XO-2 release date is projected to be no earlier than 2010, but its design direction offers look into possibilities for near-future display tech. [Laptop] —John Herman