Let's talk about haptic gloves
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 3:17 pm
With the Oculus Rift on the horizon, the major component for functional VR will become accessible and continue to improve over time.
Hand and body tracking seem to be on their way. Audio is extremely important for immersion, and is only a matter of software support.
Locomotion devices are restricted mainly by cost, design, and size, rather than a huge engineering hurdle. And a locomotion device can be anything from an ODT, gamepad, modified exercise equipment, bicycle, head-tracker, steering wheel, harness, exoskeleton, etc.
We can build different types of locomotion devices that work well enough for various applications, but probably have some time before we have an all-in-one solution.
For immersion, I see haptics as the area most in need of attention. In particular, haptic data gloves.
To define what I’m talking about, I don’t mean gloves that give general force feedback from gunshots or explosions; binary touch feedback; or controls assigned to hand gestures. I mean gloves which can feel:
* texture (between smooth or bumpy surfaces)
* shape (like the edge of a virtual table, or a virtual pen)
* weight (holding a cup, or running hands through water)
* temperature (the cold of steel, or heat from a light bulb)
* and allow the user to manipulate virtual objects.
I’m largely ignorant, but interested. Just looking at the various available gloves, and hearing about Disney Research, flexible, wearable electronics, displays, electroactive polymers, HeatIt, muscle wires, touch-sensitive self-healing skin, and so on, I know there is a lot of interesting information out there. This thread is to post links, learn and ask questions such as:
What has been achieved so far in the engineering, military, and medical industries?
What’s the most advanced available glove? How is it limited?
What is an ideal design?
What kind of new and novel, or potentially interesting technologies might be transferable to a data glove?
What can a DIYer hope to achieve with currently available materials?
Is it a matter of using current technology in a new way?
Are we waiting on one specific new material or other technology?
How long until we have haptic data gloves on the level of Johnny Mnemonic?
Feel free to post your thoughts, insights, links, and comments. I’m going to try to compile links and information to post back later.
Hand and body tracking seem to be on their way. Audio is extremely important for immersion, and is only a matter of software support.
Locomotion devices are restricted mainly by cost, design, and size, rather than a huge engineering hurdle. And a locomotion device can be anything from an ODT, gamepad, modified exercise equipment, bicycle, head-tracker, steering wheel, harness, exoskeleton, etc.
We can build different types of locomotion devices that work well enough for various applications, but probably have some time before we have an all-in-one solution.
For immersion, I see haptics as the area most in need of attention. In particular, haptic data gloves.
To define what I’m talking about, I don’t mean gloves that give general force feedback from gunshots or explosions; binary touch feedback; or controls assigned to hand gestures. I mean gloves which can feel:
* texture (between smooth or bumpy surfaces)
* shape (like the edge of a virtual table, or a virtual pen)
* weight (holding a cup, or running hands through water)
* temperature (the cold of steel, or heat from a light bulb)
* and allow the user to manipulate virtual objects.
I’m largely ignorant, but interested. Just looking at the various available gloves, and hearing about Disney Research, flexible, wearable electronics, displays, electroactive polymers, HeatIt, muscle wires, touch-sensitive self-healing skin, and so on, I know there is a lot of interesting information out there. This thread is to post links, learn and ask questions such as:
What has been achieved so far in the engineering, military, and medical industries?
What’s the most advanced available glove? How is it limited?
What is an ideal design?
What kind of new and novel, or potentially interesting technologies might be transferable to a data glove?
What can a DIYer hope to achieve with currently available materials?
Is it a matter of using current technology in a new way?
Are we waiting on one specific new material or other technology?
How long until we have haptic data gloves on the level of Johnny Mnemonic?
Feel free to post your thoughts, insights, links, and comments. I’m going to try to compile links and information to post back later.