HaptX VR gloves will allow much more then just

[pyconaut]

@alex73630 posted this on discord, and I thought I would Share it with the forums.

 

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/haptx-inc-reveals-new-haptic-glove-for-virtual-reality

https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/20/haptx-gloves-vr/#/

 

Haptx (formerly AxonVR) has finally publicly showed their haptic VR gloves, which are looking much better then their CES variant. 

 

As they say in the ieee article 

Quote

Together, tactile and force feedback systems can give you a sense of the “shape and rigidity of objects,” Mitrak says.

This is a big deal for immersion in VR, and is going to be very useful going forward.

 

I am very excited about this as a VR developer, and can't wait to try them.  The one thing I can am worried about is the time it will take for this to get into consumer hands.  As I have worked on tech product launch timelines before, I can say that it will take no less than a year to get the cost of the (current) device down to under 2000 dollars, and will more then likely be delayed multiple times due to production issues, and changes in final design.  I am guessing the current prototype cost is above 10000 dollars per unit.  Though as long as they keep it platform agnostic (vive will be old school by the time it gets to consumer cost) it should work well as a developer and consumer device in the future.

 

Part of the reason I am guessing the cost is so hi is because of the cost of micro-fluidics and micro air engineering is very hi.

 

Quote

At the heart of the technology is microfluidics, which is a study of how fluids move through small, sub-millimeter channels. HaptX CEO and co-founder Jake Rubin spent several years at Cal Poly researching the subject, along with the company's other co-founder, Dr. Robert Crockett. This led to the creation of the HaptX skin, which is made up of hundreds of tiny little air pockets. Whenever you touch something in the virtual world, these air bubbles -- also known as haptic actuators -- inflate, displacing your skin in the same way a real object would. The actuators can be woven into fabric, which results in what Rubin and co. call the HaptX smart textile.

 

 

What do you guys think.

[Matu20]

Day by day we are getting closer, can't wait for all variables to converge.

[dizmo]

$2,000? So it's aimed solely at super enthusiasts or businesses. Pricey. 

[pyconaut]

11 hours ago, dizmo said:

$2,000? So it's aimed solely at super enthusiasts or businesses. Pricey. 

It is a guess, based on early stage development costs of new tech.  Look at google glass, hololens, meta, etc.  With enough time and a good manufacturing chain they could probably get it down to 500 dollars by 2020.  But they will probably keep it somewhat high tell they get a bit of developer adoption.   

[Sakkura]

Having to put on both a headset and a pair of really clunky gloves is a major barrier to real-world VR usage. I think it's more likely this will never be a commonly used VR input device, though it could be extremely useful for certain niche uses.

[dizmo]

8 minutes ago, pyconaut said:

It is a guess, based on early stage development costs of new tech.  Look at google glass, hololens, meta, etc.  With enough time and a good manufacturing chain they could probably get it down to 500 dollars by 2020.  But they will probably keep it somewhat high tell they get a bit of developer adoption.   

Even then though, they'll still require cables. Until it can be a truly wireless experience, I don't see widespread adoption. And by widespread I mean in the niche gaming community. I think it'll be 2025 if not beyond before we truly see VR get any kind of foothold. I have to wonder if it can even survive that long. 

[PlayStation 2]

 

[Coaxialgamer]

We all know how this is going to be used... 

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Monkey Dust]

looks interesting, many years away from coming to us gamers though. 

[ARikozuM]

The price puts me off, but the sensation should be quite interesting for the games I play. I can think of this being good for horror, simulation, and shooters where immersion is a definite must. 

 

Hopefully it doesn't cut off blood supply to your hand if you get shot in the wrist. 

[Bananasplit_00]

Shape and rigidety eh? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Bananasplit_00 said:

Shape and rigidety eh? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Virtual boyfriends and bananas need not apply. 

[Tech_Dreamer]

believe they've used a similar design one on space expedition training by ESA or NASA few years back . Good seeing it coming to commercial consumer field.