A battery of vibrating actuators, a hydraulic chair and a game controller combine to create the Surround Haptics System, a physically interactive game controller developed by Disney Research Pittsburg.
Imagine sitting down to play a video game and, as you progress through levels and defeat bad guys, your chair simulates the sensation of falling, being punched or floating through the air. How? Well, Disney has nearly concluded development on a new project called the Surround Haptics System. The small vibrators embedded into the chair are so sensitive that they can reproduce almost any tactile feeling, from a soft breeze to a traumatizing crash.
Photo-realistic visuals were the challenge of prior research generations, but now that developers approach perfect verisimilitude in video games, they are expanding their research beyond the seen and toward the felt, smelled and tasted.
Sensitive Virtual Simulations
Disney's Surround Haptics System Will Tingle Your Spine
Trend Themes
1. Surround Haptics System - Disney's Surround Haptics System creates opportunities for developing physically interactive game controllers that generate life-like sensations during game play.
2. Tactile Simulation - The expanding research in tactile simulation for video games creates an opportunity for developing a new sensation beyond just sight and sound, bringing players even closer to the game experience.
3. Sensory Integration - Developers' research in integrating multiple senses into game play, like sight, sound, touch, and even smell and taste, opens the door for new opportunities in the entertainment and gaming industries.
Industry Implications
1. Gaming Industry - The Surround Haptics System and tactile simulations have great potential to change the gaming industry, providing more immersive and realistic gaming experiences for players.
2. Entertainment Industry - As video game technology advances, the enhancement of sensory integration, such as touch, smell and taste, creates new opportunities for entertainment industries that rely on virtual and/or augmented reality.
3. Technology Industry - The technological innovations behind the Surround Haptics System may inspire similar developments in other industries, such as healthcare and education, by providing more realistic simulations and immersive experiences.