At this point it seems like it's just a matter of time before every device shown on Star Trek becomes a reality and, thanks to a new innovation, the holodeck could be next.

A UK company called Ultrahaptics has developed a method of providing haptic feedback for holographic imagery by using ultrasonic technology.

Originally developed in the research labs at the University of Bristol, the developers of the system can deliver different haptic feedback and virtually tactile shapes through ultrasonic waves by pulsing the feedback of the ultrasonic waves or changing their modulation frequency.

The change in pressure that creates the virtual shapes and force sensations is termed "acoustic radiation pressure."

To better wrap your head around the concept, think of the fictional mid-air interface show in Minority Report, a type of system promised by real world companies such as Leap Motion, that allow you to manipulate computer data with gestures in the air. Now add texture and force feedback to such a mid-air interface and you begin to understand the possibilities of Ultrahaptics' system.

"We've been working on this for over four years," Tom Carter, the CTO of Ultrahaptics and a member of the team that developed the technology, told Mashable. "The goal of the company isn't to launch its own product, we want this tech to become embedded in lots of different products, from clocks, to home appliances to cars. To do that, we needed to engage OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] as a company."

Artist's concept rendering of Ultrahaptics being used to control a car's dashboard interface. Image: University of Bristol

The breakthrough, said Carter, who was working on his computer science Ph.D. at the University of Bristol before helping to launch the company, has to do with the optimization of the algorithms that control the ultrasonic waves. "Previously, it's been possible to focus ultrasound to a point," Carter said, but those attempts yielded unstable results.

The Ultrahaptics solution uses an algorithm that better controls the volumetric distribution of the acoustic radiation force fields.

Artist's concept rendering of Ultrahaptics working in concert with the Oculus Rift. Image: University of Bristol

But, according to Carter, simple interface controls are just the beginning. Further out, in as little as three to four years, he envisions the successful three-dimensional haptic lab experiments being integrated into real world products and situations that most of us could experience on a daily basis. But what most excites Carter are the possibilities of Ultrahaptics being used in virtual reality.

"The holy grail for this has to be virtual reality," said Carter. "There's a huge amount of development going into things like the Oculus Rift. Now you can only see and hear, you can't touch. So the ultimate hope would be that you could put on those virtual reality goggles and feel and touch the virtual world."

Although the current version of the technology works in a lab setting, Carter said we'll have to wait a bit longer to see some of the commercial applications of the technology.

"For example, being able to [use the technology to] control a simple device with a button, like an alarm clock, for instance," Carter said. "The alarm goes off and you just wave your hand out into a general area and it could project feeling onto your hand, and you could tap or swipe, and it would allow you to snooze... We'd love to have a commercial product on the shelves in one to two years."

BONUS: What Is Virtual Reality and How Does It Work?