The virtual world is getting touchy-feely… again with the creation of new Metaverse touch technology. Created in China, the new VR gloves aim to recreate realistic feeling inside virtual reality.
HD Metaverse Touch
Reported by South China Morning Post, scientists at City University of Hong Kong have created a new method of feeling the Metaverse. Partnering with tech giant Tencent, who are working on their own Metaverse, the wearable device is able to mimic touch.
Originally designed as an accessibility tool to make it easier for blind people to read and write, the tech also has VR use. With Tencent, the scientists are able to create a realistic sense of touch on virtual items.
One example describes online shoppers in virtual reality buying clothes. With the wearables, customers would be able to feel the texture of textiles before purchasing them.
Furthermore, the tech could be used in VR video games. For example, a VR pet game could have you realistically feel the fur of a dog as you pet it. The team believe that the technology has infinite uses.
“We envision that our technology will benefit a broad spectrum of applications such as information transmission, surgical training, teleoperation, and multimedia entertainment,” the team wrote in peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.
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How does the technology work?
Similar to other technologies of this type, the Metaverse touch hardware works via electro stimulation. Instead of traditional electrodes, a thin electrode-membrane has been created. This means that the gloves are smaller and easier to use.
To create feelings, these electrodes send a current to the nerves in your hand. This tricks your nerve endings into feeling what’s happening on screen. For example, if you’re brushing against something soft then small electrocution is required; smashing your hand into a wall would require a larger shock.
At the time of writing, this technology is still in early development. However, its creators hope that the tech will be used to connect people across the world.
“In the metaverse, for example, when our avatars shake hands, we will be able to feel the sensation in our hands,” said co-author Wei Lei.
We know what it’ll be used for
Of course, we all know what this will eventually be used for, and it’s not just hand-holding. It’s much lewder than that!
With Metaverse sex services becoming a major focus of the virtual world, these forms of Metaverse touch technologies will undoubtedly be used for sexual purposes. After all, that’s just how technology works.