What Does Virtual Reality Feel Like?

A slew of companies have been developing methods to better incorporate your body into virtual reality. All of the differing methods have to have some sensors to detect parts of our body and/or environment and react to it. Some technologies go further providing haptic feedback that we can feel that most of us have already experienced in feeling a vibration when pushing a button on our phone or the shake from a game controller's rumble pack. The applications of these technologies vary depending on what it uses to detect or create sensations. Approaches to getting more immersed into virtual reality differ across various companies such as:

Ultrahaptics

Ultrahaptics uses high frequency sound waves (too high for us to actually hear) to allow multi-point mid-air touch interaction. The company sees their technology being used to interact without touching things like digital screens, stove-top ranges, thermostats and to some degree gaming.

What is really cool about Ultrahaptics is that is also uses these ultrasonic sound waves to create an actual touch sensation. For example, the device first identifies the tips of your fingers working much like a sonar and then focuses the highest intensity waves in a spot that can be felt by the user. This essentially lets us feel and interact with things that feel like physical buttons or knobs in thin air.

The Void

This takes laser tag to a whole new level. The Void creates physical rooms for people wearing VR helmets and "Rapture" haptic vests (think wearable rumble-pack,) weapons and tools to immerse you in what they call "hyper-reality." This will be something to gather a group of friends to go game together whether a first person shooter, role playing game or Ghostbusters.

Emteq

Emteq focuses on "affective computing" which can recognize and interpret human emotion with their product called Faceteq. Users will be able to control their avatar and the environment through facial expressions using the device that fits inside your VR helmet. Combining cameras and pressure sensors it can tell when you blink, smile, grimace or movements.

While Faceteq lends itself to gaming, the company looks to apply this technology into other areas including helping those with facial pasly or mental health issues.

A demo video of this system can be watched here.

The Most Impressive: AxonVR

While each of these has it's own applications, this one really stood out for me. AxonVR has gone all out on their system that includes their haptic suit with microfluidic actuators, an exoskeleton and platform to make an impressive way to immerse yourself. Most of us have seen the platforms that let you walk around, and the suits that let you feel pressure (like a blast wave in game,) but this is the first I've seen that also has the ability to feel hot or cold using thermal feedback.

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Image Sources:
VR Suit
Faceteq
AxonVR