Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultrahaptics, said: “When you combine the Ultrahaptics technology with good VR graphical effects, VR and AR developers can create a highly compelling sensation of touchless control or holding a virtual object.”
The technology uses ultrasound to generate a unique touch sensation, enabling users to ‘feel’ objects in mid-air. Using a small array of ultrasound speakers, the technology is said to create the feeling of virtual objects, switches and dials which float in mid-air, or track the users’ fingertips, to create a truly responsive and enhanced user experience. The ultrasound can be focused on multiple fingertips at the same time, creating different textures and sensations on each.
“It’s not just about being able to feel the ‘hard’ stuff,” explained Tom Carter, CTO and co-founder of Ultrahaptics. “Our technology also has the ability to generate ‘soft’ tactile sensations like air movement or environmental effects, which can be paramount to giving users a fully immersive experience. This is our first step into haptics for VR, and we are really looking forward to pushing the boundaries even further in the future.”
