Recent hardware announcements from companies like Oculus and HTC have promised new controller mechanisms to interact with the virtual worlds they’re building, proving how important the tactile aspect of virtual reality will be. However novel these controllers are, though, they’re just stopgaps to the eventual solution: a way to completely feel all sorts of feedback from weight to texture to temperature.
Realistically, it’s a long way off, but NeuroDigital is making an effort to get there faster with their Gloveone gloves. The gloves equipped with ten haptic actuators on each, capable of independently vibrating at different frequencies to replicate the sensations of feeling. With these actuators, the product can reproduce the sensations that go along with situations like rain, or the handling of a small apple, all to more fully immerse the participant.
Weight is also accounted for, although through the combination of haptic feedback and visual illusion to do so, and not necessarily any special tech in the glove itself. Breathable fabric, and adjustable cuff, and a rechargeable battery located all within the lightweight Gloveone ensure a comfortable fit. A single Gloveone is $199, while a pair goes for $395. The $150,000 campaign ends July 10th, 2015, and is looking to ship the product out by February 2016.
Virtual reality is a puzzle lacking pieces, and NeuroDigital’s Gloveone is on its way to become another. It’s lack of space tracking capability is a clear indicator this particular piece isn’t close to being a true solution by any means, forcing users to combine it with a LeapMotion, Kinect, or other similar technology to get full use out of it. This subjects it to more liability when it comes to accuracy, and because of this users may opt to wait for future iterations rather than take the plunge now — as intriguing as Gloveone is.