The Oculus Rift and similar headsets will make virtual reality a viable consumer solution for the first time ever. But stepping into the virtual realm is only part of a broader picture that hasn’t really been addressed very much.
For a truly immersive experience, we’re going to need more than just visuals. Specially, there needs to be some way to actually interact with the virtual world that doesn’t include a gamepad or other dated input device. Fortunately, a company by the name of Control VR thinks they have the solution.
Their product consists of a set of gesture control gloves that use DARPA-designed micro sensors capable of detecting small inertial movements. The kit is able to track arms, hands and even finger movement with a greater degree of accuracy than anything the public has seen before according to Control VR CEO Alex Sarnoff.
Medal of Honor and Battlefield Producer Greg Goodrich, meanwhile, called Control VR “the most significant development in virtual reality since Oculus.”
The technology won’t be limited to gaming, however, as Control VR envisions other potential uses such as 3D motion capture, design, music composition and even drone control.
Control VR will be seeking $250,000 in funding for the consumer-level device via Kickstarter campaign scheduled to launch tonight. A pledge of $350 will get you a single-arm system with seven glove sensors, a chest piece, an arm sensor, 20 demo applications and the SDK while a $600 donation buys the full two-arm kit.
We’ll update this story once the campaign goes live on Kickstarter.
