Forum Discussion
Body Model Extrapolation and Haptic Feedback Thoughts
Ok first I will admit I am not very clued up on Haptic Technology and other solutions for VR Presence. Obviously now we are learning that In order for VR to reach maximum potential, our body and i...
Problem is, tracking the hands/feet in world-space isn't easy to do on the cheap. There have been expensive mocap systems around for ages, but it's only now that VR is a 'thing' that consumers are asking for the same abilities. Right now, there's basically nothing that can achieve this - there are a handful of systems coming out over the next 6-12 months that'll allow us to do this nicely, however (notable STEM and Perception Neuron).
The second idea you have for haptics has a fatal flaw, I'm afraid. Haptics involves applying forces to our bodies to simulate forces that we would feel if the virtual interactions we are involved in were real. To apply an external force to our bodies, however, we need an external reference frame (in the same way that you can't jump off your hands indefinitely to fly away). Haptics that apply non-external forces (like your hypothetical double-gloves) will only be surface forces. For example, increasing the pressure in the glove when you pick up something heavy wouldn't feel 'heavier', it would just make the gloves tighter.
Unfortunately, haptics is in an even worse state than 3D skeleton reconstruction, in that it's a non-existent technology. Most of VR right now is old tech being repurposed. We had mocap for animation, now we have it for VR. We had cheap IMUs and small screens for smartphones, now we have it for HMDs. However, we've never needed haptics before, so it's seriously behind in the R&D sense. Right now, there's nothing on the horizon that will give us the haptics we want. :(
The second idea you have for haptics has a fatal flaw, I'm afraid. Haptics involves applying forces to our bodies to simulate forces that we would feel if the virtual interactions we are involved in were real. To apply an external force to our bodies, however, we need an external reference frame (in the same way that you can't jump off your hands indefinitely to fly away). Haptics that apply non-external forces (like your hypothetical double-gloves) will only be surface forces. For example, increasing the pressure in the glove when you pick up something heavy wouldn't feel 'heavier', it would just make the gloves tighter.
Unfortunately, haptics is in an even worse state than 3D skeleton reconstruction, in that it's a non-existent technology. Most of VR right now is old tech being repurposed. We had mocap for animation, now we have it for VR. We had cheap IMUs and small screens for smartphones, now we have it for HMDs. However, we've never needed haptics before, so it's seriously behind in the R&D sense. Right now, there's nothing on the horizon that will give us the haptics we want. :(