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fabsterpal's avatar
fabsterpal
Honored Guest
12 years ago

Could this eventually be used in VR?

http://blog.gsmarena.com/future-smartphones-and-tablets-will-allow-you-to-feel-what-is-on-the-screen-thanks-to-this-new-touchscreen-technology-video/

Imagine this, but as a bodysuit instead of a smartphone screen. Being able to physically feel textures in the game.
Combine that with the basic tracking functionality provided in datagloves / tracking suits and an oculus rift and you will essentially be in another world.

Would that be creepy or what? Having the feel of blood on your hands after killing a prostitute in GTA cutting steak in cooking mama 2.

3 Replies

  • Wilkin's avatar
    Wilkin
    Honored Guest
    Thanks for the link, this is amazing technology - This could me mindblowing stuff for blind people - They could feel pictures - photographs from their loved ones, art they can finally "see" by touching (All the classics like Mona Lisa for example) - text that they can read, maybe even movies - it all depends on the lets call it "resolution" of the screen and how fine and fast the output could be. They could play videogames (graphic adventures, for example).

    But don´t see much use for that in VR, honestly.
  • shariq's avatar
    shariq
    Honored Guest
    Unfortunately this technology specifically can't translate easily to body suits because you only feel the surface when you rub on it - when you're not rubbing on the surface but just in contact with the screen, it will always feel the same (according to my understanding).
  • You could probably do this somehow on a smaller scale say maybe gloves. You could spread the field based on data sent back from collisions. Say if you touch an object in a application. The software will have a reference distinguishing the texture type. Then send that back to the gloves and spread the field based on where the collider is intersecting the textured object. Many years out still I'd say!