04 May 2018
Disney Research ups VR game with haptic jacket
BY Tom Anstey
Disney's research arm is aiming to take virtual reality to the next level, developing a new haptic technology to simulate impact on the human body.
Dubbed the "Force Jacket", 26 inflatable compartments are used to simulate pressure and force, adding a physical response to the VR realm.
Disney Research led the project, working alongside MIT and Carnegie Mellon University to develop the wearable tech, which can stimulate a wide range of sensations. In a video showcasing the jacket, Disney shows users experiencing sudden muscle growth, a force strike from a snowball and a snake wrapping itself around their body.
"Immersive experiences seek to engage the full sensory system in ways that words, pictures, or touch alone cannot," said a research paper headed by research associate Alexandra Delazio.
"The primary motivation of this research was to enhance the entertainment value of HMD-based visual VR experiences in games and movies, by providing on-body force feedback.
"This system offers the unique capability of delivering haptic actuation over large areas with a relatively low number of actuators, as compared to conventional techniques."
Combined with the jacket, a haptic effects editor allows designers to create specific haptic effects, building a library of haptic sensations for use in VR.
"Ultimately the Force Jacket provides a new haptic actuation method that can deliver far more immersive experiences by engaging the whole body," the paper concluded.
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