We’ve had controller feedback since the N64 and Starfox 64, but what if a control pad had the ability to stretch your thumb tips in different directions, simulating the tug of a fishing line, or the recoil of a gun? This is what engineers at the University of Utah are attempting to create — the controller that controls you.
“We have developed feedback modes that enhance immersiveness and realism for gaming scenarios such as collision, recoil from a gun, the feeling of being pushed by ocean waves or crawling prone in a first-person shooter game,” said William Provancher, an associate professor of mechanical engineering.
A patent on the above controller is currently pending, but Provancher hopes to have the controller in stores in the next couple of years.
Thoughts? I can think of a couple of interesting in-game applications. For example, I used to love the way steering wheels would lock and push back in arcade racers. It would be great to see uses of this technology reflecting the ways in which virtual worlds can push back on the player
New Direction for Game Controllers: Prototypes Tug at Thumb Tips to Enhance Video Gaming [Science Daily]
Thanks OneOfTheJonesBoys!
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