bHaptics – Page 2 – Augmented & Virtual Reality Confabulation

January 20, 2020

CES 2020 Interview: bHaptics Moves Towards Consumer Haptics

Gamers are used to haptic feedback in their controllers, rumbling away to indicate actions. When it comes to virtual reality (VR), haptic feedback can make an experience even more engaging, especially when this involves the entire body. bHaptics is one such company offering a solution for those that really strive for immersive gaming, with its Tactsuit system. During CES 2020 bHaptics announced it was even easier to delve into this new world, as its haptic vest became available on Amazon.

bHaptics Tactsuit

bHaptics Tacksuit is an entire system designed for haptic immersion, with the main component being the Tactot vest. Featuring 40 individually controllable haptic points, wireless connection via Bluetooth Low Energy technology (BLE) and an adjustable waistband which can accommodate 26″ to 50″ waists, the vest retails for $499 USD. Previously only available through bHaptics website and marketed towards enterprise users such as location-based venues (LBE), the company is now eyeing up more consumer sales thanks to its Amazon availability.

As mentioned there’s more to the system than just the vest – the only component available on Amazon – allowing gamers to go for the full-body experience if they so chose (have the money). There’s the Tactal, a haptic face cushion which supports a range of headsets including Oculus Quest, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Pimax for $149.00. Or how about the Tactosy which comes in arm, hand and feet versions for $249.00, completing the full-body coverage.

One of the latest updates bHaptics announced during the event was its audio-to-haptic features for 7.1 sound channel. bHaptics’ software automatically converts sound output of content into haptic feedback in real-time and supports both 7.1 channel and stereo sound system. Users are able to customize a wide range of frequencies, selecting certain frequencies if they so choose.

bHaptics Tactsuit

When it comes to VR support the latest titles compatible with Tactsuit are Sairento Untethered and Thrill of the Fight, both of which are now available on Oculus Quest.

Check out the interview with bHaptics’ Jeniffer L for some further information. As the company releases further updates, VRFocus will let you know.

March 18, 2019

VR to Dominate Korean Pavilion at GDC 2019

It’s finally the week of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2019, with the main event due to open this Wednesday. It’s set to be an exciting week for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) news, both on the hardware and software side. And it looks as though the Korean Pavilion will be highly focused on immersive tech, with six out of the ten companies attending focused on VR or AR.

The pavilion has been set up by the Korea Creative Content Agency(KOCCA) to showcase the latest Korean game technologies. KOCCA General Director Hyun Hoon Cho commented in a statement: “GDC2019 is a significant opportunity to showcase Korea’s next-generation Game Technologies and Solutions to the global market. I will use it as a stepping stone to revitalize the production of next-generation game contents in Korea through understanding the latest trend of global game technology.”

Attending GDC 2019 will be bHaptics with its wearable haptic suit, the Tactsuit. The device is able to relay sensations from over 70 individually controlled actuators, helping players feel every punch, shot and knock to their bodies. Staying with haptics, VR Carver is a specialist in haptic devices for VR sports videogames. By using what the company calls a ‘trek belt system’, it’s currently in the process of developing a simulator for racing titles.

Moving into the field of hand input is Feel the Same, focusing purely on hand and finger gestures. Feel the Same manufactures soft sensors which can be used inside data or VR gloves, and will be demonstrating the Mollisen VR glove at GDC 2019.

Reality MagiQ Infinite Fire On the software side, there’s Reality MagiQ, a VR developer that specialises in e-sports experiences for VR arcades. With plans to release new titles online later this year, the company is looking for more arcades and theme parks to deploy its technology.

Working within the VR and AR fields is Neorama, which is currently developing a robot-based tournament title called Robot Taekwon V-Reality, which is in co-production with Korea Telecom. And lastly, there’s Smarthan which creates educational content using AR.

As GDC 2019 ramps up speed, VRFocus will bring you all the latest announcements from the event.

August 30, 2018

Bhaptics Talks About A Modular Approach to Haptics Technology

Haptic feedback technology is becoming increasingly prominent as an area of development as a virtual reality (VR) market matures and customers start to seek new ways of making VR experiences even more immersive.

Nina spoke to Stuart Burmeister, Software Engineer for Bhaptics about how the company is trying to meet the requirements of the market.

Bhaptics is a company that specialises in haptic feedback technology specifically for VR applications that helps users e more connected with the virtual world. The company has existed for roughly three years and is based in South Korea.

Commenting on the company’s mission, Burmeister said: “We’re looking into making VR more immersive by adding haptic feedback and adding a new level to gaming.”

Asked about how the Bhptics system differed from other haptic suits on the market, Burmeister replied: “Our main focus is comfort, so you can easily and quickly put the suit on, we don’t want you to have to fiddle around with straps, it should be on and then off. It should also be easy to wash, not too heavy or bulky and easy to wear.”

Going into further detail about how the suit worked, Burmeister said: “There are 40 motors in total, twenty on the front and twenty on the back, and they function in an array. So each of these motors will vibrate. So, we send a signal using Bluetooth and it will tell the right motor to activate and at what strength.”

When it comes to develops integrating the technology into videogames or apps, Burmeister said: “We use our own software to make it easy for people to access and send this information without worrying about which specific motor needs to be activated.”

bHaptics TactSuit 1 — Photp credit: Engadget

Going further into the technology, Burmeister commented on the different components of the Bhaptics system: “We have the vest which is the core part, because of lot of games use the body, but we also have the sleeves, which do things such as deliver impacts from guns, we also have for the hands so you can punch when playing sports games, we even have something for the face, so if you get hit in the head, you can feel the impact from that as well.”

The full interview is available to view below. For further coverage on Bhaptics and other VR-related technologies, keep checking back with VRFocus.

August 24, 2017

bHaptics’ TactSuit Promises Better Actuator-Based Haptics at a Lower Price-Point

Gamescom is one of the few truly gargantuan expos dedicated to gaming, holding within its massive Zeppelin hanger-sized halls all manner of ostentatious booth featuring all the big names in gaming. But it’s not all glitz, cosplay, and long lines at Gamescom. Back in the more demure B2B area, only accessible to trade visitors and press, was bHaptics, a Korean startup that recently joined HTC’s Vive X Accelerator Program specializing in actuator-based haptic devices, all of which ideally fit together to create a greater sense of immersion for VR games and experiences.

Everything in the TactSuit kit is wireless (Bluetooth Low Energy), which includes a vest and two ‘Tactosy’ arm bangles. There’s also a head-mounted haptic piece that wasn’t present at the show, which bHaptics explained to me was because it’s still in prototyping, and that unlike the picture shown below, which is more of a headband, it would either replace or fit over the foam gasket in either HTC Vive or Oculus Rift.

Initially strapping on the vest, I was told you have to cinch it tightly to your body so you get solid contact with each of the 40 actuators (20 on the front, 20 on the back), something that felt more or less comfortable at first. However getting more and more into the zombie shooter demo, which unleashed an array of different enemy types at me from 360 degrees, I started to feel the vest’s material hold in more and more heat. I would guess that longer playtimes (in excess of 20 minutes) would see some discomfort in users. The entire kit, headpiece included, contains a total of 87 actuators.

Lets get this out on the table before I go any further. Buzzing actuators, like those in smartphones and motion controllers alike, are pretty limited in the type of tactile sensation they can simulate. For example; a short, strong buzz would be good for a gunshot, and a long, weak buzz for a simple touch. The more the actuators however, the greater the ‘touch resolution’, which can create other sensations either by activating multiple actuators at once, or in a specific sequence. Think about getting shot in the stomach by a pulse rifle. The interior shot is hard and fast, and actuators on the periphery of the shot only gently buzz in a wave extending out from the shot. You can also simulate things like a slice across the chest or back in any direction, or an electric shock which sends the whole vest’s worth of actuators in a chaotic tizzy.

Anyway, zombies were lurching towards me from all sides, and feeling a claw ripping down my back for the first time, which was really just a line of actuators activating in sequence, was a surprising as it was terrifying. My brain filled in the necessary gaps, as I learned ‘buzz = bad’ in a short order. Soon the horde had me surrounded and my whole vest was buzzing wildly, with me frantically shooting to get them off of me.

As for the arm bangles, they’re a piece of the kit that do essentially one useful function: activating when you fire a gun to give you more perceived kick-back. This I found less useful for the purpose of overall immersion, and I may chalk it up to the demo, but the frantic shooting resulted in two constantly buzzing forearms. The bangles can technically also allow for more detailed haptic feedback because of their higher ‘actuator per square inch’ resolution, but I’m not sure what it would accomplish outside of having to learn what certain buzzes mean in the context of a game.

In the end, I learned that actuators alone do not a perfect haptic solution make, but you certainly can’t deny the novelty of strapping into a vest that lets you feel the digital realm in any capacity. I’m still not certain it’s really for me just yet though. At “less than $549” for the consumer version (coming later this year), TactSuit customers will likely fall into two camps; enthusiasts at the forefront of VR gaming, and out-of-home entertainment parks like the Korea-based Lotte World, which currently hosts VR games using the set-up. There’s always the question of support too. Like many new VR peripherals, the onus falls on individual developers to import TactSuit’s plugin into their projects, so the list of games that will work with it depends entirely on the game developer’s appraisal of whether taking the time to do so will be a profitable use of their time. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to break out of, but there’s no telling what customers want and how loud they’ll be about getting it.

The post bHaptics’ TactSuit Promises Better Actuator-Based Haptics at a Lower Price-Point appeared first on Road to VR.

July 3, 2017

bHaptics Showcases Hapic Device TactSuit at HTC Vive X Demo Day

Virtual reality (VR) is all about immersing the user in whatever experience they happen to be playing, primarily achieved through sight and sound. Haptic technology aims to add the next level of immersion, so that players can actually feel whatever’s happening in the virtual world with several companies developing various methods to create this. One of the most popular avenues being employed is a haptic suit or vest, with companies like Nullspace VR and its Hardlight VR suit. Recently HTX Vive held a demo day in Shanghai, China with Korean startup bHaptics demoing its TactSuit.

The wireless kit features a vest with 40 feedback points – 20 on the front, 20 on the rear – two sleeves which each have 20 and a haptic mask with seven points, making for an impressive 87 reports Engadget. That’s significantly more than the Hardlight suit which features 16 individually controlled haptic feedback zones.

bHaptics TactSuit — Photo Credit: Engadget

With such a large amount of actuators providing feedback bHaptics can then supply even more realistic sensory simulation, which a device with fewer could not. For example, rather than multiple gunshots feeling like just the front of your body was being hit, you could actually tell if you were shot in the chest or abdomen. Or how about an insect crawling across your face or putting your arm up to defend against a punch.

This can be achieved through bHaptics in-house editing software that supports Unity. It would allow developers to create haptic paths across the individual feedback points for certain gameplay scenarios. The software also features an option to select the force each point outputs, as well as how rough the vibration can be.

The TactSuit is expected to be priced at under $549 USD, but as yet there are no plans to release it to consumers. bHaptics is looking at selling to the enterprise market to begin with, such as VR arcades, as well as developers.

As VRFocus learns more about bHaptics and TactSuit, we’ll let you know.

July 3, 2017

TactSuit: Erschwingliches VR-Set mit Weste und 87 Feedback-Punkten

Das koreanische Start-Up bHaptics hat ein vergleichsweise günstiges Set entwickelt, mit denen Anwender noch lebensechter in virtuelle Welten eintauchen können. Insgesamt kommen 87 vibrierende Feedback-Punkte zum Einsatz. Das TactSuit-Set besteht aus einem Wireless-Kit, Weste, zwei Manschetten und als Besonderheit eine Maske.

TactSuit: Feedback für Brust, Rücken, Arme und Kopf

Lösungen für ein haptisches Feedback gab und gibt es immer wieder, richtig durchsetzen konnten sich die Westen allerdings nie. Zu teuer und zu eingeschränkt waren die bisherigen Angebote. Die Tactsuit ist mit knapp 550 US-Dollar zwar kein Schnäppchen, bietet aber mehr als manche Konkurrenten im gleichen Preisbereich: nämlich ganze 87 Vibrationsmotoren, die eine genaue Steuerung des gewünschten Feedbacks ermöglichen. Zum Vergleich: Der ungefähr gleich teure Hardlight VR-Anzug bietet lediglich 16 Sensoren. Bei der TactSuit verstecken sich sieben Motoren in einer Maske und jeweils 20 in den beiden Manschetten. In der Weste vibrieren je 20 Motoren hinten und vorne.

Der Einsatzbereich richtet somit vornehmlich an Spieler, die feine Abstimmung des Feedbacks lässt bestimmte Aktionen realistischer erscheinen: Beispielsweise, wenn der Anwender von einer Monsterkralle oder einem Schwertstreich getroffen wird. Bei der Umsetzung hilft eine Software des Herstellers bHaptics, die mit der Spiele-Entwicklungsumgebung Unity kompatibel ist.

In Seoul kommt das Kit bereits zum Einsatz, im koreanischen Vergnüngungspark Lotte World stellten sich bereits rund 50.000 Koreaner dem Horrortitel Zombie Attack (siehe Video). Täglich kommen 500 neue Spieler dazu. Richard Lai von Engadget konnte die Erfahrung kurz mit einer HTC Vive antesten und kommt insgesamt zu einem positiven Ergebnis: Die Weste ist nicht zu schwer und steigert das Alptraumszenario erheblich. Vor allem dann, wenn man einen Schlag in den Rücken erhält, sich umdreht und einem Zombie gegenübersteht. Anschließend die blutigen Untoten über den Haufen zu knallen, sei dank der Manschetten um den Armgelenken besonders befriedigend.

Ein kleines Problem könnte für Brillenträger allerdings die Maske sein, da man mit ihr auf die Sehhilfe verzichten muss. Und eine Einschränkung gibt es dann doch noch: Die TactSuit richtet sich bisher ausschließlich an Geschäftskunden und Entwickler, eine Consumer-Variante planen die Koreaner wohl derzeit nicht.

(Quelle: Engadget)

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