Scientists bid to create finishing touch for VR

Virtual reality may be able to transport our sight and sound senses to new heights but one area it has failed to immerse us in is the power of touch.

Scientists in the US have developed a prototype device which aims to put this third sense within VR’s reach, using a flexible material fitted with tiny vibrating components that can be attached to skin.

But researchers from Northwestern University believe the system, known as epidermal VR, could be useful in other cases as well, from a child touching a display relaying the gesture to a family member located elsewhere, to helping people with amputations renew their sense of touch.

In gaming, it could alert players when a strike occurs on the corresponding body part of the game character.

“Virtual reality is a very important emerging area of technology,” said Professor John A Rogers, who worked on the project.

“Currently, we’re just using our eyes and our ears as the basis for those experiences.

“The community has been comparatively slow to exploit the body’s largest organ: the skin. Our sense of touch provides the most profound, deepest emotional connection between people.”

The team’s design features 32 vibrating actuators on a thin 15cm by 15cm silicone polymer which sticks on to the skin without tape or straps and is free of large batteries and wires.

It uses near-field communication (NFC) technology – which is used in many smartphones for mobile payment today – to transfer the data.

“With this wireless power delivery scheme, we completely avoid the need for batteries, with their weight, size, bulk and limited operating lifetimes.

“The result is a thin, lightweight system that can be worn and used without constraint indefinitely.”

Scientists hope that the technology could eventually find its way into clothing, allowing people with prosthetics to wear VR shirts that communicate touch through their fingertips.

Their research is published in the Nature journal.