Device Simulates the Sensation of an Object Passing Through Your Hand
The Kajimoto research group at the University of Electro-Communications is developing a device that simulates the sensation of something passing through your hand. It is proposed to improve the sense of realism in games, and uses a vibration mechanism to create the illusion.
“There is an illusion which is called a phantom sensation. This happens when two points on your skin are stimulated at the same time, and it feels as if the space between them is being touched. At our lab we thought of stimulating the palm and back of a hand at the same time, so that it feels as if an object is going through your hand.”
“Imagine that the hand on the screen is your hand, on which we have placed the phantom sensation device. We use a Wii remote control to sense the location of your hand, and you can move your hand left and right. In our demonstration, a black ball falls from the top of the screen and when that black ball falls through the hand on the screen, it activates the vibrators.”
