One of the key features of the current virtual reality revival is its reliance on technologies developed for mobile devices. The new virtual reality hardware we’re seeing is a far cry from the nightmarish tethers and back-breaking hardware from the late 20th century. Now we are seeing various takes on small, wireless and lightweight hardware … Continue reading StompzVR: Getting a foot in the door
TrackIR is an optical motion tracking device that used an infrared (IR) camera to track head motion manufactured by NaturalPoint. The user wears a hat or other rigid structure on the head with dots that reflect infrared light. These are used as reference points to generate motion data for the software. With the correct configuration … Continue reading TrackIR
The Gloveone is a mobile haptic device worn on the hand that allows for haptic interaction with virtual objects, either on a screen or through a virtual reality HMD. The device is pretty unassuming to look at, essentially it’s just a glove with vibrant green highlights. On the back of each glove there’s a puck-like … Continue reading The Gloveone: VR that Fits like a Glove
The Kor-FX is the result of five years of research and development. Produced by the company Immerz, the vest uses vibrations to enhance sound and video game experiences. Much of the long research time that went into the Kor-FX centered around ergonomics. Humans come in many shapes and sizes and while in virtual reality or … Continue reading The Kor-FX 4DFX: Getting In-vest-ted in the Game
One of the most direct ways to combine both tactile force feedback and precise motion capturing is to strap a robotic exoskeleton to your body. This may bring back images of quite scary mechanical feedback and capture systems from the early days of virtual reality, but with modern plastics, electronics and manufacturing methods there is … Continue reading The DEXMO Classic and DEXMO F2 Robotic hand with Haptic Feedback
It may not be immediately apparent what the Woojer 2.0 has to do with virtual reality. In essence the device is simply a wearable subwoofer. A battery powered speaker fundamentally not so different from other battery powered bluetooth speaker you can buy at every electronics shop these days. Except the Woojer addresses one major limitation … Continue reading The Woojer: It’s All About that Bass
Imagine you’re playing one of your favourite video games in virtual reality. Your HMD lets you see and hear things as if you were there, your motion tracker lets you reach out and interact with objects, influencing the world around you. However, you can’t feel anything in this world. Not a breeze, not a touch, … Continue reading The Teslasuit Promises an Electrifying Experience
There are plenty of ways to see virtual objects and scenes. LCD screens, head-mounted displays, augmented reality displays, projection mapping and more. Feeling virtual objects is, at this point in time, neither as advanced nor as widespread in the mainstream as interacting or seeing them. There’s a lot of variation in approach to simulating touch, … Continue reading Geomagic Haptic Devices (formerly Sensable)
The Novint Falcon is a desktop haptic robot device, although you’ll also hear it referred to as a “3D mouse” in some literature. It’s used to simulate touch in a virtual world, allowing you to “feel” virtual objects or other physical forces. Be sure to read our article Getting to Grips With Haptics for a … Continue reading The Novint Falcon Haptic System
There have been developments in virtual reality to bring this technology to people at an affordable price. For example there are virtual reality glasses which are designed for PC users as well as gamers but will there be a Mac version? There have been rumours that Apple is conducting research into virtual reality glasses or … Continue reading Virtual Reality Glasses for the Mac
