Disney’s Magic Bench is taking augmented reality to the next level, allowing you to interact with cartoons—all without goggles or glasses.

Disney’s Magic Bench is taking augmented reality to the next level, allowing you to interact with cartoons—all without goggles or glasses. The bench uses a mirrored display, camera, and depth and haptic sensors so you’ll “hear a character coming, see them enter the space, and feel them sit next to you”—they can even pass you digital objects. (Again, all without a headset.) Because of the haptic sensors, you might feel, for instance, an elephant’s snore vibrating the bench, or the pitter-patter of rainfall. As we predicted, 2017 is seeing VR take a backseat (or bench) to AR. (CNET)