As virtual reality (VR) comes of age and the technology the powers it develops, there has been a steadily rising demand for accessories to make the VR environment feel even more real and immersive. For some, this involves haptics and touch sensors, which let users literally feel the VR world as though it were really there. Most currently available options are somewhat expensive, however, so Plexus is aiming to fill a gap in the market.
Plexus have announced their new product, a VR haptic and sensor glove which the company say will fill the need for an affordable and flexible option for consumer-grade VR haptics.
The Plexus VR haptics gloves have a fully modular tracking solution, which the company says can track with up to 0.01 degrees of precision. The gloves are capable of not only individual finger tracking, but tracking of each joint on the finger, which Plexus say offers unparalleled precision and dexterity in a VR environment.
The Plexus glove is compatible with the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality devices, with adapter plates provided for each type of device. The company is also at work on developing a custom ‘Halo’ tracker which Plexus say will offer a more ergonomic design along with better tracking stability.
Pre-orders for the development kit version of the Plexus haptic gloves are now being accepted on the official Plexus website, priced at $249 (USD) per pair. The company are planning to begin shipping in August 2018, though at the moment shipping is only available to USA, Europe, Canada and Australia.
Plexus have confirmed that they are planning to release a gesture tracking system that will correspond with HTC Vive and Oculus Touch inputs for backwards compatibility, and are also investigating how to integrate SteamVR’s new skeletal tracking system.
For further news on Plexus and other VR accessories and services, keep checking back with VRFocus.
via Mint VR