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ComputerActive has an article on a European research project, Haptex, which aims to "to develop a Virtual Reality System (including both
software and hardware) for visuo-haptic interaction with virtual
textiles." "Haptic" refers to the sense of touch, and haptics are a growing field of virtual interaction, wherein gloves and styluses are used to collect physical interaction from the user and give back to the user physical feedback from the system, like resistance or vibrations or an electrical shock.  (Obviously, these have big applications in gaming.) The current technology, nicely shown off in a video at the Haptex website (QuickTime link) basically consists of "feeling"  3D digital object with a pair of motorized chopsticks or thimbles. 

But Haptex doesn't want you to just drag and drop virtually rendered 3D blocks--they want you to go shopping for clothes.  That requires measuring the 3D and surface properties of a real object, much as a camera records andimage or a recorder captures sound. It requires being able reliably reproduce that information (think film development or image display/speakers) in an interactive way.   The future implications for Web, er, n.0, from shopping to sharing, would add a whole new hardware element to your browser. (Imagine MySpace 2015 with parents desperately trying to stop kids from sharing the feel of their hair or fingertips.)

  They'll be displaying a prototype next week at the Helsinki  Information Society Technologies conference, and have a lot of technical papers at their site.  A field to keep a hand on. Link via Tech Digest.