Future Interfaces Group (YouTube)

As shown in the video above, the technology was used to simulate several, arachnid-related scenarios. Who wouldn’t want to feel the wispy caress of webs on their lips, or a spider try to forcibly enter their mouth? Why even play a video game if you can’t experience the tactile sensation of a spider’s guts splashing against your face after shooting it with a flare gun? Apparently, not even internal anatomy like teeth and tongues are safe from this ultrasound array’s “new and interesting VR experiences.”

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Other examples include feeling the water as you drink from a fountain and sensing the wind breeze past you while riding a motorcycle.

“We found that mouth haptics boosted immersion, realism, and other important factors in virtual reality experiences,” the paper concludes.

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It’s honestly a pretty cool piece of work, spider stuff aside. Not only would this ultrasound array give developers a whole new sense to seriously consider when making games, it’s also compact enough to work with most existing VR headsets without inconveniencing the user. A lot more study and research is required until this is ready for a consumer market, of course, but even for someone like me with little interest in virtual reality, it’s hard not to imagine the possibilities.