Similar to any other form of gaming “trend”, virtual reality comes with its own accessories and peripherals. The Sense Glove is perhaps one of the most interesting creations we have seen so far. More specifically, it is currently impossible to experience “touch” in a virtual reality environment. While not game breaking, the Sense Glove may finally overcome this hurdle. Or that is what the ambitious team developing this project hopes to achieve in the coming months.
A Closer Look at the Sense Glove for VR
As the name somewhat suggests, the goal is to offer VR gamers with more sensory input than previously possible. The Sense Glove looks like a Nintendo gadget of the seventies, although it serves a very different purpose. More specifically, it enables the concept of “touch” in a virtual reality environment. When a player picks something up, they will feel the weight of the object in the palm of their hand. Pushing against a box will result in force feedback being transmitted through the glove.
In an escape room scenario, for example, you would feel the surface of objects at your fingertips as you grasp around in the dark. The number of applications for the Sense Glove is virtually limitless, although it remains to be seen how it will all be implemented. Game developers and designers need to take note of developments like these, as the “gadget” will help create even more experiences than ever before. However, one has to keep in mind this technology is not merely designed for gaming or content consumption purposes.
According to the Sense Glove team, some of the applications in the B2B segment are worth exploring as well. Especially when it comes to B2B training purposes, there are many benefits to [haptic] touch feedback through the Sense Glove. Although it will never be the exact same as a real hands-on experience, it comes a lot closer than any other technology is capable of right now. Virtual objects will feel as if they are really there for you to touch and grasp. It certainly makes the immersive aspect of virtual reality very different compared to what we are used to right now.
For the time being the Sense Glove will not come to market anytime soon. A developer kit will launch later this year, but no official date has been announced as of yet. There is also no word on pricing, as such a Sense Glove will not be cheap. The developer kit itself costs $1,199, which is rather expensive. At the same time, you get a pair of gloves from day one, which makes it worth for developers to check out at some point. It will be interesting to see whether or not the Sense Glove can effectively bring “touch” to the VR ecosystem in the future.
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