Researchers Develop New Wireless VR Skin That Enhances Sense Of Touch

VR technology has been booming in recent times with various applications. As an update to VR tech, here comes a 'wearable skin' that will give users a sense of touch and vibrations. VR technology will have a whole new experience with the new wireless VR skin, which is currently being used in the rehabilitation of prosthetic users.

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Wireless VR Skin To Help Prosthetic Users

The researchers have developed the new tech, which can be controlled wirelessly. People who have lost their limbs or have been handicapped accidentally can benefit from the new technology. Earlier, researchers used battery-powered actuators that had wired and was a hassle to work with. The latest update brings smaller actuators that are powered wirelessly.

Medgaget reports that the new wireless VR skin looks and feels like actual human skin. The material is equipped with minute chips and antennae and is draped over the user. The experience is hassle-free, especially when compared with the wired ones. The haptic actuators on the VR skin are capable of harvesting the radio frequency power via a flexible antenna. This allows the user to move freely without the wires obstructing their path.

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The new VR technology has "solved the difficult problem of transmission by low-power wireless function and significantly increased the distance of the operation for our system," Dr. Yo Xinge, a researcher on the developing team from the City University of Hong Kong and Northwestern University.

Wireless VR Skin: Game Changer

Also, the new VR skin can be applied for gaming as well. Gamers will get a real-feel and actual feedback while playing a game on VR. For instance, the gamer might feel a small vibration when the opponent shoots at him. It would further create an immersive experience with intense feedback.

So far, the researchers are trying out the new VR skin on prosthetic users. Xinge further adds that the skin will help the users feel "the external stimulation with their prosthesis, such as the shape or texture of an object." It can also be used in clinical applications for developing virtual scenes.