Meta Previews its Work on High-Tech VR Haptic Gloves

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of creating an all-immersive metaverse has etched one step closer to becoming a reality.

Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, has shared some insight into its work on developing advanced haptic gloves that will enable people to feel and interact with virtual items in a digital world.

For the past seven years Meta has been working on what is said to be one if its most ambitious projects yet – a haptic glove that mimics the sensations of grabbing objects or running your hand along a surface.

In simplified terms, Meta’s new haptic glove is lined with 15 ridged and inflatable actuators. These pads are arranged to fit along the palm of the wearer, the underside of their fingers as well as their fingertips. Additionally, the glove also acts as a VR controller. On the back of the glove, there are small white markers that enable cameras to track how your fingers move through space. The prototype also houses internal sensors that capture how the wearer’s fingers are bending.

When the wearer dons the glove and enters a VR experience, an advanced control system will adjust the actuator’s inflation level, creating pressure on parts of the hand. If you touch a virtual object with your fingertips, the pressure will create a sensation of that object pressing into your skin. If you had to grip a virtual item, the actuators along the long fingers will stiffen and create a sensation of resistance. Interestingly enough, these sensations will work alongside visual and audio cues to imitate physical touch as closely as possible.

As said by Meta:

“Imagine working on a virtual 3D puzzle with a friend’s realistic 3D avatar. As you pick up a virtual puzzle piece from the table, your fingers automatically stop moving as you feel it within your grasp. You feel the sharpness of the cardboard’s edges and the smoothness of its surface as you hold it up for closer inspection, followed by a satisfying snap as you fit it into place.”

If Meta commercialises the haptic gloves, they will likely face similar privacy and security challenges as other wearables that collect biometric information. As such, Meta will likely have to establish policies that govern the use of data from user’s devices. That is if the company decide to commercialise it; for now Meta are just trying to replicate real as closely as possible.

Although there is still a long way to go before haptic experiences in virtual reality are commonplace, it’s worth appreciating how far technology has come, and the gap between where we were, and where we are today.