Virtual Reality Is Getting Closer

Virtual reality is a human-created information and technology-based world that responds to interactions with it and conveys changes back to the user through various senses.

This field is becoming increasingly promising and is already being used in areas such as education, video viewing, and gaming.

However, immersing someone in a virtual environment so that the sensations they experience exactly match those of real life is extremely difficult. So far, systems for visual display, sound perception, and interface manipulation (with real-time responses) have been used successfully for this purpose.

Recently, however, a new German development emerged that includes not only the systems listed above, but also electrical muscle stimulation. The stimulator is attached over the muscles in the arms and, in response to certain actions in virtual reality, sends electrical impulses to the arm, simulating the sensation of touching an object and sensing its size and weight. The system also includes algorithms that can distinguish rigid objects from elastic ones.

According to the researchers, this has brought the sensations of virtual reality much closer to those we experience in everyday life. It makes the experience more vivid and motivates further progress in this field.