It's not enough be immersed in a virtual environment, if you can't feel it. This is not a judgement; it's a fact. If you want an environment that's virtually real, you need to involve more than your eyes and ears.
Tokyo-based H2L agrees. They've launched a Kickstarter to develop an armband controller that tickles your senses.
The UnlimitedHand is embedded with haptic sensors and an array of electronic muscle stimulators that measure arm and hand movements and respond with electronic pulses that trick your muscles into feeling pressure, vibrations, resistance and even discomfort.
Developers at H2L know there are tons of different applications for such a controller and so they're making their armband on an open source platform, so that other folks can adapt the controller technology for different games.
And you can imagine that gaming in the shoot-em-up and punch-em-out sense wouldn't be the only space for such a technology. It could be used to develop virtual reality instructions for learning an instrument, for example, or learning how to drive a vehicle.
Body Suit Gives You Real-Life ‘Spidey Sense'
There are still 52 days to go and the Kickstarter has far exceeded its goal, so you might want to jump on the bandwagon.
And maybe once we have touch taken care of in virtual reality, we can move on to smell.
Today's etymology trivia: The term haptics is derived from the Greek haptikós, meaning "able to grasp or perceive." In digital terminology, it refers to the use of tactile sensations or sense of touch as a way to interact with electronic devices. Haptics is a busy area of research and development just now, particularly with interface design, virtual reality applications and mobile devices. Here we touch on some recent development. See what we did there? Above: The
, or HUG, was developed at the German Aerospace Center. It has two light-weight robot arms that, when engaged, give the wearer tactile and force-feedback sensations. It was designed for training programs for astronauts, mechanics and people needing limb rehabilitation.
Apple's most recent would-be game-changer, the iWatch, incorporates the company's new Taptic Engine technology, which uses precisely tuned electromagnetic oscillations to approximate the sensation of a tap on your wrist. Apple has also embedded the tech in new MacBoom trackpads, which produces the feeling of a mechanical click on a stationary piece of glass.
A recently filed
from Apple suggests that the company is just warming up, so to speak. Titled "Touch Surface for Simulating Materials," the patent describes a process by which haptic actuators would be combined with temperature-changing surfaces. For instance, an image of steel would feel cold and smooth, but wood would feel warm and grainy.
With virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift on the horizon, haptic technology is ramping up quickly as a way to supplement the VR experience. The
gaming glove, designed by a team at Rice University, uses a system of small inflatable air bladders to approximate touching, pressing or gripping a virtual object.
Air is often the medium of choice in many haptic systems. The
device, developed at Disney's research labs, projects a vortex or ring of air which can travel relatively long distances while retaining its shape and speed. The vortex collapses upon striking the user's skin, creating a tactile sensation.
The British company
, affiliated with the University of Bristol, is developing several technologies that use ultrasound to project tactile sensations through the air. The idea is to create ultrasonic virtual objects -- like control knobs and panels -- that can be manipulated without any physical contact at all.
One of Ultrahaptics many areas of research involves combining ultrasound with visual and audio elements to create haptic holograms. Using motion sensors, the system tracks the exact position of your hand and directs ultrasound to approximate basic shapes, like a sphere or cube. The visual elements are digitally inserted in the image above -- the technology for freestanding visual holograms isn't quite here yet. But you get the picture.
The University of Sussex recently published results on a
that explored some of the psychological aspects of haptic design. According to the study, certain tactile cues on the hand can trigger or reinforce particular emotions. For instance, sharp bursts of air to the area around the thumb generate excitement, and slow stimulation of the pinkie causes sadness. Who knew?
Some new initiatives in haptics aren't that high-tech at all, but rather take advantage of existing mechanical systems like the "rumble" motors in game console controllers. Google Play recently announced a new section of games that provide haptic feedback in mobile games as well, using your phone's vibrate function. With Angry Birds, for instance, you can feel the tension of the rubber band, or the crash of the falling structures.
Artists have been incorporating haptic elements in their work for centuries, particularly in areas like sculpture and textile art. But technology has opened up new vistas for art you can touch -- consider the intriguing idea of
. An ongoing project at the University of Edinburgh is even exploring ways to bring
to non-sighted audiences using tablets.
For those interested in a truly comprehensive haptic experience, the U.K. company Tesla Studios is hoping to bring their
to market later this year. Designed to be compatible with the Oculus Rift and newer game console systems, the Tesla is billed as a full-body suit with haptic feedback gloves, vest and trousers. Yes, haptic trousers. And we're not even going to mention the contemporary phenomenon known as the
.