At GDC 2022, VR glove developer Manus showcased the new VR glove Quantum Metagloods and said the glove provides more accurate finger tracking than the previous solution. In addition, while pricing is primarily aimed at enterprise use cases, the team hopes to one day bring the technology to the consumer market.
It is understood that Manus has been working on the development of glove products for real-time VR and motion capture, its previous products are based on IMU and elastic sensors for tracking, and Quantum Meta has chosen a new magnetic tracking. The company says magnetic tracking improves the finger tracking mechanism, especially when the finger interacts, when the finger touches another finger or the palm of the hand.
It is reported that the Quantum Meta is equipped with a magnetic base on the back of the hand, and the tip of each finger is equipped with an induction module. This means that the glove can detect the length and width of the finger (with proper calibration) and, when combined with a basic skeleton model of the hand that is dynamically scaled according to the user, allows for more precise hand tracking, Manus said.
Magnetic tracking is by no means perfect, though, and although Manus states that the "Quantum Meta" magnetic tracking method is unique, close-up finger interactions are susceptible to electromagnetic interference and delay problems and failure.
Currently, a pair of Quantum Meta gloves is priced at $9,000, while pre-orders will begin in April and are tentatively scheduled for late Q3 shipments. Manus said the company also plans to launch a Quantum Meta haptic version, which will support tactile feedback from each finger to enhance user immersion.