A team of researchers in Hong Kong has developed an alternative to thick, bulky gloves for being able to sense objects in virtual reality. WeTac is like a second skin that covers the palm and fingers and produces tactile sensations through electrodes.
Virtual reality and augmented reality are very immersive technologies. However, they are limited mainly to two senses: sight and hearing. In an attempt to simulate touch, there are VR glove prototypes that use different mechanisms, and even wiring systems, but so far all of the solutions are quite cumbersome. Researchers from hong kong municipal university offer a much more compact alternative, a kind of artificial skin. They published the details in the review Nature Machine Intelligence.
Called WeTac, this second skin is made of a hydrogel that sticks to the hand. Its low thickness does not hinder movement. It contains 32 electrodes, distributed in the palm and fingers, and connected to a controller located in a small patch of 5 cm x 5 cm. This is worn on the forearm and contains a battery and a Bluetooth transmitter.
This “skin” makes it possible to feel objects in virtual or augmented reality. © CityU Research & Technology
Sensations of different intensities
The electrodes provide tactile stimulation when the wearer interacts with an object in virtual reality. They are capable of producing sensations of different intensities, which makes it possible to have the sensation of touching or grasping objects, or even of feeling a small virtual mouse walking on one’s hand. WeTac can even create unpleasant, but not painful sensations, for example by touching a virtual cactus. The system is also designed to be calibrated to the sensitivity of each wearer.
The researchers believe that WeTac may also have applications outside of the metaverse. Such a system would make it possible in particular to control a robot equipped with touch sensors, or even help to regain the sensations after the fitting of a prosthesis.
