Adding haptic technology to the virtual experience
Great technological inventions that neglect the issue of the Man-Machine Interface (MMI) may fail to attain their full potential. Engineers in the IST-sponsored project MUVII paid careful attention to the MMI aspect when developing new virtual reality technology for "edutainment" purposes. MUVII partner, de pinxi introduced an innovative interface that allows the user to interact with the virtual environment using their sense of touch. Until now, such haptic-enabled interfaces have only been tested in research labs. The result is improved feedback and an enhanced user experience. The public domain got a chance to try out this new technology during demonstration trials. Specifically, an Immersive Theatre Demonstrator (ITD) was created, allowing people to visit a virtual museum exhibiting Russia's archaeological past. Using the haptic-enabled interface, visitors could manipulate tools on archaeological digs, unearthing relics for further examination. Learning about the past in a fun environment was possible for both single and multi-user applications. De pinxi hopes to capitalise on the success of the demonstration trials and to mature the technology into a full-scale product. The ITD and special haptic-enabled interface will be presented at a number of technology conventions and other events. Potential application areas include the classroom, museums and training centres among others.
