Have you ever thought to yourself something like “Exciting! I’d like to try it myself” while playing futuristic video game? Or kind of? If so, your thoughts were prophetic, whereas American technological startup knows how to do it. Their VR-gloves work in sync with VR-glasses via special applications and can give you the ability to touch objects you see through the glasses. Let’s examine it a bit more.
Paragraph 1: The Principle of Glove in a Nutshell
It is a controller and touch imitation device at the same time. The glove transfers finger moves to the game engine of headset in real time therefore it can become a popular addition to VR-games of the nearest future. There are also actuators integrated into the glove intended to create the feeling of touch. The gadget looks like a usual glove with some plastic plates connected to an additional block (honestly, the prototype is quite unattractive). However, some circumstances make issues arise for device’s usage: the glove must be calibrated every time you use a new VR-app. Different hand sizes is a problem as well.
Paragraph 2: When Will Usual Consumer Be Able to Buy it and What Consequences It May Bring Forth?
In general, the gloves could provoke a new stream in VR-oriented sphere and creation of such products as:
- A film-like game where you are the protagonist.
- A new sort of video simulators (something like simulator for pilots etc.).
- Probably, the technology will rise to a level allowing people to “touch” each other while located on the different continents.
- Physicians also may find it useful in process of learning, training and medication.
Contact CI are going to sell developer-specialized glove to developers so they can create a product without need for calibrating. Realization announced on 2016’s fall and the pair of gloves will cost $470. The custom version will be presented later with expected price of $299. Definitely, the project should cause geek agiotage: imagine you can grab a bow with your hands while playing Skyrim and shoot the dragon yourself!
It is expected that creators of device will make it more comfortable by reducing the additional block of the glove.
Paragraph 3: By the Way
There are some features of the invention to tell about:
The startup participants are not the first who presented physical influence VR-controller. Japanese H2L team made an armlet called “Unlimited Hand”, which can read single moves and move the arm on its own by muscle stimulation. Hasso Plattner Institute came up with the device transferring physical feeling of collision with object in virtual reality to user.
We also have to make some notifications on the VR touch-feeling process’s quality. It is quite primitive-looking for now as the synchronization of moves and video is poor and the video itself can’t be called “good”. Yet the technology is new and if (or rather, when) it gets more popular it will improve faster and faster. Perspectives are huge and it is doubtful whether someone is capable of predicting all the ways the technology may develop.
The unicity of Contact CI’s product is in using a special system for motion capture so it is sufficiently different from the other motion capture gadgets presented before.
