Haptic technology can play a big role in the future of virtual reality. Omnipulse is a new form of technology that creates haptic feedback. The end goal is to make this experience as organic as humanly possible. Whether or not this piece of hardware will put VR on the map, remains to be seen. However, it goes to show haptic feedback may become an integral part of the virtual reality experience.
Omnipulse Is An Interesting VR Technology
What makes this particular technology so intriguing is how it forms the Omnipulse skin into different shapes. To be more specific, it can be used to form any type of haptic feedback hardware. A haptic controller, gloves, or even full-fledged VR suits are all potential use cases for Omnipulse. Cornell’s Organic Robotics Lab is the entity responsible for creating this new technology and showing it to the world.
A haptic system plays a big role in the immersive experience provided by virtual reality. It has to be a realistic user experience at all times. In the real world, walking into a wall or getting attacked would create a muscle reaction. That is exactly what haptic feedback aims to provide as well. Omnipulse may make its way into all kinds of VR hardware in the coming months. In fact, the engineers have adapted it to a Vive controller successfully already.
Unlike what people may think, the Omnipulse skin can slide over any existing accessory or hardware in existence today. This means users will not have to buy proprietary controllers or VR suits whatsoever. It is expected companies will incorporate this haptic feedback technology into their own creations moving forward. It is important to note the skin is connected to a tether right now, although that may be simplified in the future.
As one would expect from such innovative technology, the “creepy” factor is off the charts as well. The demo image below shows how Omnipulse can move on its own, regardless of anyone touching it. It looks funny at first, but it also creates a bit of an unsettling experience. It will be interesting to see whether or not this technology will gain mainstream traction or not.
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