The University of Tokyo has developed a virtual reality interactive system that allows people at both ends of the device to feel each other's touch at the same time without wearing any machinery.
This tactile visual interaction system is revolutionary. Its name is straightforward, called "Haptic-Optical Clone", and its creator, shinoda laboratory in the Department of Complexity Science and Engineering at the University of Tokyo, gave it the nickname HaptoClone, which is concise.
At the end of this video, you can see that the person on one end of the device extends his finger to push the ball in the virtual image, and at the other end, the real ball is pushed down accordingly and falls outside the device.
v.qq.com / Tencent CDC Team- viaIframely
A reporter from Gizmodo personally tried to touch the ball and said, "I know from the tactile feedback that this is an inflatable plastic ball." Speaking about the detailed perception of touch, he said, "I felt a strange sensation like a bubble."
But how exactly does it do it?
The system consists of two boxes shaped like a 3D printer. First of all, a special spatial image imaging plate acts as a mirror, allowing the person or object in front of one box to be presented in the form of a virtual image into another box. Secondly, the box is equipped with Microsoft's Kinect sensor designed for the XBOX 360, and if there is movement in any box, the sensor will capture these actions in real time. Finally, the ultrasonic transmitter in another box releases the corresponding ultrasonic radiation pressure to provide the other party with haptic feedback at the same position.
Unfortunately, due to the damage of excessively strong ultrasound to the nerve tissue of the human body, HaptoClone cannot yet simulate a touch similar to the intensity of handshake and high-five, and only gentle touch can be felt. According to the experiencers, this feeling is like touching a strange bubble, which shows that its tactile accuracy needs to be improved.
Considering the cost, the technology has not yet reached the point where it can be popularized. At this stage, the team uses spatial imaging plates designed by Japan's Asukanet company to "clone" images, but these imaging plates are expensive and are mostly used in experiments rather than production.
In the future, the main direction of the team is to remove the imaging board and use the camera and screen to display the image, so that the vision, sound and touch can truly travel around the world and narrow the distance between people. Users can touch the cheeks of distant loved ones, rub their palms, or even give them a hug. What's even cooler is that the other person can feel your touch almost at the same time. The end of the world is at hand, but that's it.
In addition to socializing, the technology can be used in other areas. Researcher Yasutoshi Makino told Motherboard, "Imagine you're in a zoo with a lion on the other side of the glass, and you can feel the shock of it."