HapTex: virtual textiles

Imagine to shop at the website of a clothing company and want to feel the fabric before you buy a specific garment. In the future this is possible thanks to new kind of interfaces that allow you to see, touch and stretch virtual fabric that resembles real fabric. European researchers in the HapTex project developed this system that combines a special glove, a computer model and visual representation.
Actually, two models were developed. One represents the overall properties of the material, the second model maps the actual sensation on the skin. In order to get a real-life sensation, all this information had to be combined with a detailed visual representation of the textile. The models must work in sync, just like video and audio during the movies. Still, the technology needs to be refined as it is not possible yet to distinguish between different kinds of fabrics all tough this was one of the original visions of the researchers. Also, working with a special glove doesn't seem very user friendly to me, do I need to buy a special shopping glove in the future?
The progress in the project shows that very interesting interfaces are coming in the future that combine visual and touch feedback so we can enjoy real-life sensations in virtual worlds. Therefore, the researchers believe that the interface is not only interesting for creating shopping experiences, but also for virtual gaming environments. Think of the experience of really feeling a spider web in a thriller game. Interesting stuff...