In the day and age where technology has far surpassed the limits of the minds of past generations, we have to ask ourselves, have we gone to far? There are now virtual reality controllers that will transmit actual pain to the human receptors.
Apparently, the technology has been around for years. The CyberTouch Glove was released in 2000 and retailed for $15,000. They designed the glove to vibrate as you handled objects virtually on screen. Today, this technology is incredibly cheap to reproduce and distribute. And of course, it has advanced to cause gamers real-world pain.
According to Greg Burdea, a haptics researcher at Rutgers University, “Any VR engineer aims to make the game indistinguishable from reality.” The theory is that by using sensory overload, you can addict the user.
The HaptX Glove creates a pain simulation like you would feel if you were having a snowball fight without gloves. The microfluidic actuators in the glove press into your skin to create sensations of movement, texture, and weightiness. This duplicates the real-world senses of touch and pain.
Another VR gadget, ThermoReal by TEGway, uses a paper-thin thermoelectric semiconductor to cause an actual sensation of pain. The VR suit produced by Hardlight elicits the sensation of being kicked in the ribs. Now you can take those combat games up a notch since your own pain is now at stake!
The Tactical VR Mask from bHaptics successfully makes you feel like you have been sucker-punched. The mask sticks inside of your headset and is fitted with seven vibrating haptic motors. This gives the wearer a realistic experience.
The masochist inside us all says this will be such a wonderful invention. The realist inside us all says “Honey, you weren’t meant for this life.” Whether or not you elect to try out this new technological gear, one thing is sure, the future is here, and it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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