Disney Research ups VR game with haptic jacket
by Tom Anstey | 04 May 2018
Disney's research arm is aiming to take virtual reality to the next level, developing a new haptic technology to simulate impact on the human body.
Dubbed the "Force Jacket", 26 inflatable compartments are used to simulate pressure and force, adding a physical response to the VR realm.
Disney Research led the project, working alongside MIT and Carnegie Mellon University to develop the wearable tech, which can stimulate a wide range of sensations. In a video showcasing the jacket, Disney shows users experiencing sudden muscle growth, a force strike from a snowball and a snake wrapping itself around their body.
"Immersive experiences seek to engage the full sensory system in ways that words, pictures, or touch alone cannot," said a research paper headed by research associate Alexandra Delazio.
"The primary motivation of this research was to enhance the entertainment value of HMD-based visual VR experiences in games and movies, by providing on-body force feedback.
"This system offers the unique capability of delivering haptic actuation over large areas with a relatively low number of actuators, as compared to conventional techniques."
Combined with the jacket, a haptic effects editor allows designers to create specific haptic effects, building a library of haptic sensations for use in VR.
"Ultimately the Force Jacket provides a new haptic actuation method that can deliver far more immersive experiences by engaging the whole body," the paper concluded.
Disney haptic technology Force Jacket VR Disney Research MIT Cernegie Mellon Alexandra Delazio
26 inflatable compartments are used to simulate pressure and force, adding a physical response to the VR realm
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Disney's research arm is aiming to take virtual reality to the next level, developing a new haptic technology to simulate impact on the human body. Dubbed the "Force Jacket", 26 inflatable compartments are used to simulate pressure and force, adding a physical response to the VR realm. Disney Research led the project, working alongside MIT and Carnegie Mellon University to develop the wearable tech, which can stimulate a wide range
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