Virtual Reality Haptics: What You Really Need to Know

Have you ever wondered how your hands are tracked in VR?  

Have you ever been curious how the virtual world responds to your touch? 

Here we will explore how haptics can be used to make an interactive experience extremely immersive and engaging. 

The first use case is from Telexistence, a Japanese company that created a robot (Model H) completely reproducing the actions of the user controlling it. They created an immersive and accurate experience. Using the gloves and the headset, the user could be present somewhere they would not usually be. The user can also see through the robot’s eyes.   

The arms of the robots are articulated, thanks to SteamVR trackers, to push the immersion experience a step further. Telexistence created this using ManusVR C++ SDK and added their force feedback modules. 

The technology allows you to be transported to any location you want, meet people in digital environments, and forge an emotional connection with virtual characters.  

VR also seems like a window into the future — enabling engineers to work on incredible innovations and giving us all a look at what we'll be using in the next decade or so. 

One such innovation is haptics technology, which brings virtual reality to a whole new level. The technology found in video game controllers, cell phones, and haptic gloves of today — allows you to feel the effects of your movements in the virtual world. Here's what makes it possible. 

What is Haptics, and how does it work?  

By definition, Haptics is the study of tactile sensations. Since virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation of a real-world experience, this covers all aspects of VR design: graphics, audio, scent, and, most importantly, touch.  

Haptic devices — or controllers — are an emerging medium for VR experiences. These devices can stimulate your sense of touch through various ways: vibration, heat, cold and more. In some cases, they can even trick your brain into thinking it's feeling something! Although these controllers haven't hit mainstream consumer markets yet, they have been around for years and have become increasingly affordable. 

Haptics is a branch of physical feedback technology. Unlike visual and audible feedback, Haptics employs forces, vibrations and motions to convey information to the user. This allows users to interact with virtual objects as if they were real, a critical feature of virtual reality technology. 

What are the methods employed in Haptics Technology? 

When creating a haptic feedback interface in VR, a company will typically employ two different methods: 

Friction Haptics 

Friction-based Haptics is most commonly used in VR controllers. They most closely resemble the Haptics in the real world.  

For example, when you grab an object or push against something in VR, you'll feel resistance from it. The textures on the object will also be "felt" through friction-based Haptics.  

Vibration Haptics 

In contrast with friction-based Haptics, vibration-based Haptics don't create any resistance to the user's movements. Instead, they simulate vibrations that give a sense of touch to what would otherwise be a completely virtual experience.  

These vibrations can take several forms depending on the purpose of their use; they can be directional (for example, along one axis) or omnidirectional (all axes). Directional vibrations are often used for feedback during gameplay or notifications from an interface. 

Haptics in Virtual Reality 

There are two main types of virtual reality (VR) haptic feedback: kinesthetic and tactile. Kinesthetic feedback provides sensations that make you feel like you're not standing still in a room with a VR headset on but moving through physical space. Tactile feedback causes you to feel physical contact with virtual objects. 

Tactile (touch feedback) 

Tactile Haptics is the technology that most people first think about VR -- the 'touch' aspect of touch-and-feel. This type of Haptics allows users to feel impact, force, vibrations, and texture. There are a variety of ways to deliver this kind of sensation. However, the most common way is to use a mechanical actuator that directly provides a force or vibration to the user's skin or body. 

Kinesthetic Feedback 

Kinesthetic feedback simulates movement through space by directly stimulating muscle groups. An omnidirectional treadmill is a typical example of this; when you run forward in real life, your body leans forward in response, and your feet move backwards.* Kinesthetic feedback can also be delivered through vibration or motion along a particular axis (e.g., shaking side-to-side). 

Haptics in Today's World 

Haptics, or touch feedback, to augment the sense of touch in virtual reality is a rapidly developing area. The current generation of VR devices uses an input device that requires the user to have actual physical contact with the device itself, such as the Oculus Rift's remote for movement and the HTC Vive wands for interaction.  

Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to grow at a CAGR of around 10% during 2021-2026. 

However, there are other sources of haptic interaction which do not rely on these types of controllers but instead attempt to use different methods to simulate touch sensations.  

Tactile: These cause localized, discontinuous disturbances on the skin surface. The most commonly used tactile feedback in HMDs uses small actuators or piezo elements in the headset that cause a tapping sensation against the skin. 

Applications of Haptics 

Haptics is a newer field of study within the broader computer science umbrella. It involves using haptic devices, which are physical devices that allow users to interact with a computer physically. These devices can be manipulated by hand or attached to the human body and simulate the sense of touch or taste, and smell. 

Haptic technology is used in various ways, from video games to industrial applications. A few examples of other uses include: 

-Designing prosthetic limbs that are more realistic than those created using just visual interfaces 

-Creating more advanced medical training simulations 

-Creating more interactive virtual reality programs 

The following are some of the most critical applications of Haptics in VR: 

1) User Feedback - Haptics can be used to provide real-time information about events that occur within the virtual environment. For example, a virtual character may touch you, or objects may bump into you. This tactile stimulus is essential because it gives your brain a sense of what's happening within the virtual world and helps immerse you further into that environment. 

2) Interaction - Besides providing feedback about what's happening around you in VR, Haptics can also be used to interact with those elements directly. For example, if you're playing a game where you need to move an object from one location to another, a basic solution would be to teleport the object from one place to another. However, you could actually feel the object move through your hands with Haptics on board. 

How Haptics is going to Transform the Metaverse? 

The global haptic technology market is valued $18.31 billion in the year 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.8% from the year 2017 to 2022. 

As the technology develops and becomes more affordable, we could see haptic technology used to enhance existing smartphones or tablets. 

Meta's Reality Labs team has showcased a pair of haptic gloves to allow users to feel a sense of touch when interacting with virtual objects in the metaverse. 

As you can imagine, haptic technology offers a lot of potential in the medical field. Imagine doctors being able to perform intricate surgery without breaking their sterile gloves or contacting patients without having to touch them. This technology also has applications in gaming and other areas where true-to-life experiences are desired. 

The future looks bright for Haptics as its uses become more varied and mainstream acceptance grows. 

The Bottom Line 

Haptic technologies can significantly enhance the VR experience and provide feedback for virtual objects. Additionally, Haptics reinforce a user's sense of presence in VR. 

It's time to redefine reality through multiple perspectives to transform it into a truly multi-dimensional experience.  

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