VR-Suit : MultiModal experiences in a Virtual World

Project Information

VR-Suit

Grant agreement ID: 663534

DOI

10.3030/663534

Project closed

EC signature date 15 January 2015

Start date 1 February 2015

End date 31 July 2015

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

ELITAC BV
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - VR-Suit (VR-Suit : MultiModal experiences in a Virtual World)

Reporting period: 2015-02-01 to 2015-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

This project is a feasibility study for a wearable virtual reality suit, for initial offering in the serious gaming market. Elitac wants to offer a product in this market, that enables the wearers to move in a virtual environment and feel objects and events by receiving tactile feedback on their skin. The study focuses on requirement analysis and technical development plans (technical feasibility) and business case design.

Objective: To define the concept for the primary market: serious gaming
Objective: To create a technical development plan for the VR-Suit
Objective: To define a business case for the primary market: serious gaming
Objective: To catalogue secondary markets and their potential

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

We identified (desk research) and discussed (interviews) the opportunities for a tactile wearable in the following fields/cases:

Companies / B2B sales opportunities
A Training/Serious games
A1 Serious games for training purposes
A2 Posture change
A3 Balance problems
B Communication
B1 Skype conversations with real feedback
C “Fun” / Enhanced user experience
C1 Museums
C2 Escape rooms
C3 New style arcades
C4 Indoor playgrounds

Individuals B2C sales opportunities
D Home-gaming
D1 Smart tv-games
D2 PC-games
D3 Console-games
D4 Gaming for the blind

For this interviews where performed with serious game manufacturers, we deliberately selected some experienced with VR and some that where not.

We have established design studies (images included). These concept images have helpt us in explaining our concept to industry contacts. Together with university Utrecht (gaming/VR department) we have identified a framework for the technical scope for our idea.

We used economic market data to assess the potential in different fields and to define a preliminary business model for our concept. This lead to a confirmation of our initial choice of target market: B2B serious gaming.

In the preparation of technical development we assessed technologies we would like to use in the product. Technologies for manufacturing of the wearable (textiles, glues), technologies for electronic designs (sensors, charging, wireless connection chips) as well as firmware (game engine compatibility, tactor interpolation algorithms) related technologies where all considered. These form the basis of our product development plan.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Expected impact on Elitac and within the market for serious gaming

1) It is Elitac's mission to dissolve the border between virtual reality and real presence, by offering physical interaction with digital systems. The addition of touch sensation to virtual worlds creates an opportunity for virtual world designers to give a very real experience to their users. The development of this concept by Elitac will bring a feasible and scalable product to the market.

2) The innovation is the major step towards next generation tactile displays, by connecting to complex 3D environments that can generate more complex tactile feedback patterns (interpolation, 3D strokes over the body, flexible/dynamic display lay-out configuration);

3) The serious gaming market is a stepping stone into consumer oriented applications, a major milestone towards Elitacs goal to offer mainstream tactile applications;

4) The all-in-one concept opens up many new application possibilities, in for example Recreational Gaming or Augmented Reality (smart workspaces, smart buildings, first responders, navigation). A platform is created for companies, enabling them to offer a sense of touch in B2B training solutions (such as First responders serious games) and enhance B2C user experience (e.g. Escape rooms and indoor playgrounds).

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