New VR Device Will Let Gamers Feel Water Fountains, Mud Splatter, and Crawling Bugs on Their Lips
While VR gaming has come a long way since its bulky and cumbersome beginnings, it often lacks a fundamental element that can create a truly immersive experience: the sense of touch. Fortunately, engineers at Carnegie Mellon University have created a new device that lets you feel sensations on your lips, teeth, and tongue in virtual worlds—so if you can’t brush your teeth in real life, at least you’ll be able to do it in VR.
The device utilizes a series of ultrasound modules called transducers that are attached to the bottom of a VR headset. The transducers help create haptic feedback, or tech that creates sensory feelings of touch, by shooting out ultrasound waves to your mouth. This creates a haptic experience that lets your lips “feel” what you might encounter in the digital world such as falling rain and water fountains.