Touch at a distance
An interdisciplinary research team from the City University of Hong Kong and Northwestern University in the USA has developed a skin-mounted virtual reality system that can be controlled and powered wirelessly. The innovation has a great potential for application in the field of communications, prosthetics and rehabilitation, as well as in games and entertainment.
Skin is a relatively little–studied touch interface for virtual (VR) or augmented reality (AR) technologies. Currently, VR and AR devices are usually based on vibration, which is applied to the skin using electric motors. The devices are overloaded with bulky wires and batteries attached to the case, which limits the use of the device.
Imitation of touch on a millimeter scale
Researchers have developed an integrated skin VR system that can receive commands via a wireless network and then simulate touch using vibration, overcoming pre-existing disadvantages. The user can feel the touch by attaching a thin, soft and adhesive device similar to a bandage to the skin.
Thanks to a carefully calibrated design, the VR device accommodates hundreds of functional components, including actuators that simulate touching with mechanical vibration on a millimeter scale. All components are embedded in a thin elastomeric layer with a silicone coating only 3 mm thick. It is breathable, reusable and resistant to bending and twisting artificial leather.
Retired US Army Sergeant Garrett Anderson feels the handshake of one of the developers of the "virtual skin" through an overlay glued to his shoulder.
Wireless control and energy efficiency
It is important that the numerous microchips and antennas built into the virtual skin device allow it to be recharged and controlled wirelessly.
The system can be operated at a distance of up to one meter, which is 10 times the existing maximum distance using similar technologies.
Since the new system uses an advanced mechanical design, tactile actuators require less than 2 milliwatts to generate a tangible sensory vibration, while conventional DC drives require about 100 milliwatts of power to do this. Thus, the complex problem of wireless transmission with low power consumption was solved and the range of the system was significantly increased.
Application potential
The group spent about two years developing this wireless VR system, now they are working on a version of the application for prosthetic users so that they can feel the external environment through the sense of touch and give feedback. In addition, the system can be used to develop clinical applications, they will significantly improve the sensory experience of interaction in social networks, multimedia entertainment, surgical training, etc.
Making an electronic skin that can sense temperature will be the next step of the authors of this study.
Article by X.Yu et al. Skin-Integrated Wireless Haptic Interfaces for Virtual and Augmented Reality is published in the journal Nature.
Aminat Adzhieva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on EurekAlert materials: A wirelessly-controlled and wearable skin-integrated haptic VR device.