A Promising New Haptics Device
Haptics came before VR as an immersive sensory “next big thing” in the late eighties. Think “DataGlove” or Nintendo “PowerGlove.” Original Tron vibes…
At one point in the nineties I had a Logitech Haptic mouse that buzzed and clicked as I moved my mouse across window edges and title bars in Windows. I think I have it in a box with my CueCat.
More serious applications involved the use of kinetic feedback to provide a larger-scale application for simulating real-world activity within a virtual experience. 3D Systems is probably the largest presence in this area.
It is notable that both of these devices have been largely unchanged since they first came out in the early 2000’s. Somehow they still manage to work with popular game and simulation software frameworks like Unity and Unreal on Windows and Meta Quest headsets. Still, they cost thousands and are somewhat fragile. They are also heavy and bulky and tend to be stuck in the lab and design studio.
What I have been looking for is something new: a smaller, lighter, sturdier and more attractive – if not cheaper haptic system. And I think I have found it: The Haply Inverse 3.
I enjoyed a visit from one of the founders of the company last week and took receipt of a loaner device to use for some research. So far I am very impressed with the polish of the design, the thoughtfulness of the user experience (touch screen, gravity compensation), and the inventive way they reduced the form factor. This is finally something that could be reasonably taken out on the road for immersive training brought to the learner instead of dragging them into a VR cave.
The responsiveness of the system is noticeably better than the older systems, and it has a scary cool trick: It can move you! The motion control is strong enough to move your hand around, and it is possible to play back recorded coordinates through a Python API.
Haply has interesting plans to come that will hopefully open up kinetic haptics and 3D mousing to more markets and use cases. It is refreshing to see innovation in this space again, and I look forward to working with them on some fun projects.