Editor's note: The following document was discovered in the midst of cataloging materials from the former Human Factors Engineering department at Bell Labs. Carbon-dated to 1973, it appears to have research notes related to alternative computer interface development. Certain sections remain classified, yet we present the declassified portion to serve as part of our ongoing documentation of forgotten technological pathways.
April 17, 1973
Week 27 results continue to exceed expectations. The tactile display system, particularly when implemented through non-conductive materials, shows improvement over a variety of visual display methods. Test subjects have shown 37% faster pattern recognition when information was presented through tactile rather than visual channels.
Thomas's resistance matrices, when applied to the cedar substrates, achieve signal fidelity comparable to magnetic storage without electromagnetic vulnerability. The Sheridan papers on proprioceptive feedback loops provide theoretical foundation, though our implementation differs in key aspects.
Key findings from Series 7B:
- Signal resolution increases with material grain density
- Information retention correlates with tactile complexity
- Subject 11 demonstrated unexpected cross-sensory information transfer
- The funding situation deteriorates.
- Bell's redirection leaves only the Matsushita grant and ARPA's limited interest. Review scheduled for June 17 will determine continuation.
Note pattern similarities between our cedar-substrate response maps and the mechanical integrator outputs (MIT Archives). The recurrence suggests fundamental principles rather than coincidental alignment.
11111 10011 00110 00110 00000 01011 01010 10011 10000 00110 10011
Recommendation: Proceed with integration of the pressure-sensitive feedback mechanisms into the full-scale prototype. Maintain physical documentation protocols as established. Computer records remain vulnerable to the reorganization committee's oversight.
The wheel turns. What was once forgotten will be rediscovered when needed.
E.L.
Our archival note: This document seems to be also connected to the alternative interface research conducted at Bell Labs right before their pivot to digital-only approaches. The pressure-sensitive technology described here bears striking resemblance to concepts that wouldn't be commercially developed until decades later. Most notably, the document's final line proved prescient - these approaches are indeed being "rediscovered" in modern haptic interface design. For those who are already following our documentation of alternative technological pathways, this represents another piece in understanding how different computing might have been.
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ARPA (historical information about ARPA's computing research):
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