Getting a Grip on Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies have quickly become mainstream in recent years, revolutionizing the way we perceive and interact with digital content. According to recent industry reports, the global market for virtual reality is expected to reach nearly $60 billion by next year, with a significant portion of this growth attributed to the increasing performance of VR and AR devices.

One of the main reasons for the increase in popularity is the remarkable improvement in the audio and visual capabilities of these headsets. High-resolution displays and advanced audio systems have significantly enhanced the immersive potential of VR and AR experiences. This increased realism has made these technologies appealing to a wider audience, extending beyond gaming and entertainment to fields such as education, healthcare, and industrial training.

Despite the progress that has been made, one significant limitation that prevents the complete replication of real-world experiences is the absence of tactile feedback. While VR and AR can provide stunning visual and auditory simulations, the lack of realistic tactile sensations can shatter the illusion of being present in a virtual environment. The tactile feedback systems that do exist primarily rely on vibrotactile actuators, which offer only a rudimentary representation of touch and texture. These systems can simulate basic sensations like vibrations and pressure, but they are unable to reproduce the intricate nuances of texture, temperature, or the complexity of physical interactions.

Improving tactile feedback is an area where further technological advancements are needed to bridge the gap between virtual and physical realities. One potential solution to this problem was recently reported on by a team at Carnegie Mellon University. They have developed a haptic glove that they call Fluid Reality. This untethered, lightweight glove has high-resolution shape-changing fingerpad arrays that can reproduce tactile sensations in a way that vibrotactile actuators cannot. While Fluid Reality is still in the prototype stages, it looks very promising — it is relatively unobtrusive and inexpensive. These factors could allow for the development of a successful commercial implementation of the technology.

Existing systems that offer high-resolution tactile feedback, beyond what can be provided by vibrotactile actuators, tend to be extraordinarily bulky and cost tens of thousands of dollars. The novel approach taken to produce Fluid Reality overcomes these problems by leveraging recent advances in small embedded electroosmotic pumps. These pumps can move fluids rapidly and generate high pressures, yet require tiny amounts of energy for operation and are very thin, at about five millimeters in thickness. Moreover, no bulky, external equipment is necessary.

The pumps fill haptic pixels made of skin-safe silicone. Twenty of these pixels can be packed into an area of one square centimeter to provide high-resolution feedback. In the demonstrated glove, 32 haptic pixels were positioned over each fingertip, for a total of 160 pixels, however this arrangement can be reconfigured for each application. A Teensy 4.0 microcontroller, and a few other supporting components, were built into the glove. Since the entire system is powered by an onboard battery, and the hydraulic system is fully self-contained, the glove is free from any tethers that limit the user’s range of motion.

With a high density of individually addressable haptic pixels, Fluid Reality can do a lot more than just simulate the feeling of coming into contact with an object. It can also simulate the feeling of static textures, or even spatial textures, such as one might experience as they run their fingers over a piece of rough wood. The rapid actuation of the pumps also opens up additional opportunities for haptic animations that can simulate the feeling of, for example, the wind, or a drop of water falling on the skin.

Looking ahead, the team plans to further reduce the footprint of the electronics that drive Fluid Reality. They also plan to explore better, and more consistent, manufacturing methods in preparation for the possible development of a commercial version of the device.