If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to have a spider crawling into your mouth, new virtual reality (VR) technology can make it feel frighteningly real.
Researchers in the United States have equipped VR headsets with so-called haptic technology that can give a realistic sensation to the user’s mouth.
That way, when you’re trying to zap a mutant spider in a VR game, you can actually feel it jumping on your face and scurrying across your lips.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University Mirai Interface Group The mouth is one of the most important body parts with tactile sensitivity after the fingertips, and haptics in VR should extend beyond handheld controllers.
So they fitted the VR headset with a beamforming array of thin, compact ultrasound transducers that focus airborne acoustic energy onto the lips and mouth.
Make VR more immersive
What users feel is primarily taps and vibrations of their lips, teeth, and tongue. This lets you simulate things like raindrops, mud splattering on your face when you hit a puddle, crawling creatures, and more.
why do you ask Companies are racing to make VR more realistic and engaging for users by complementing headsets with haptic gloves, suits and add-ons that stimulate other senses.
At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, Euronews Next Head-mounted display with olfactory technology This allows users to immerse themselves in a VR experience and smell a range of sophisticated scents, from freshly picked roses to roasted marshmallows to the earthy scent of forest trails.
Ultrasonic mid-air haptic technology isn’t new, but researchers at Carnegie Mellon University say they’re the first to integrate the technology into a mouth-use headset.
A demo of the game, set in a haunted forest scenario, shows a player wearing a headset clenching his mouth and frowning as a virtual spider crawls over his mouth. increase.
In the game, the player must make his way through spider webs to reach a small clearing. When they face a spider and shoot it with their flare gun, it explodes into goo, scattering (and somewhat terrifying) the user.
A more realistic simulation allows users to feel the sensations of sipping a drink, puffing a cigarette, brushing teeth, and more.
Most of the study participants reported that incorporating these sensations made their VR experience more immersive and allowed them to be immersed in the VR experience.
of Prototype addon The current thickness is 15mm and the weight is 107g. Researchers are now working to make the technology lighter so that it can be easily integrated into consumer VR headsets.
For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
