Increasingly Realistic Experiences
Nowadays, more and more people are encountering virtual reality, making it less of a novelty than it used to be. This is because virtual reality is becoming increasingly accessible. For instance, you can get the Oculus Quest at a relatively low cost and enjoy high-quality VR completely wirelessly without spending hundreds of pounds on a high-end system. But as VR gains popularity, developers and providers strive to make the experience increasingly realistic and immersive. One way to achieve this is by adding a haptic feedback suit to the experience.
bHaptics Tactot Vest
The bHaptics vest is currently the world's most advanced haptic feedback vest. It features 40 feedback points that can all vibrate individually. This allows for extremely precise feedback on where on your body you feel the sensation. For comparison, Nullspace's Hardlight Suit had only 16 feedback points in total. Combined with other bHaptics accessories (face mask, sleeves, shoes, and gloves), the suit has a total of 58 feedback points.
Slimmed Down
One of the earlier versions of the bHaptics vest weighed about 2.5 kg. It quickly became evident that this was too heavy for someone to play energetically. Therefore, bHaptics has sought to save as much weight as possible with the new bHaptics Tactot Vest. The vest now weighs 1.7 kg, which is a good choice. When you put on the vest, you can feel that you have something on your body, but it is far from uncomfortable or heavy. You can easily play for extended periods without becoming fatigued. Thanks to the front zipper, the vest is easy to put on and take off, and with adjustable straps on the sides and back, you can tighten the vest around your body. This makes the vest usable and comfortable for everyone.
The Tactot vest comes with a large 8250 mAh battery. This battery provides around 15 hours of playtime before needing to be recharged (assuming all 40 vibration points vibrate for one second every ten seconds at maximum intensity). You can recharge the battery by plugging it into a power adapter. It takes approximately 4 hours to recharge to full capacity. In practice, the battery of the bHaptics vest lasts well for 2 or 3 days. For commercial use, it is advisable to purchase multiple vests, as swapping the battery is not very convenient. The vest's connection is completely wireless via Bluetooth. This is handy, as multiple bHaptics vests can be placed in one room without encountering connection issues between the vests or headsets.
bHaptics Tactal Accessories
There are various accessories available for the bHaptics vest to create a complete set. For example, there is a haptic feedback face mask that fits on all common types of VR headsets, a haptic feedback sleeve for the arms, gloves, and separate haptic shoes. Many of these products are still being thoroughly tested by the bHaptics team, which is why they are not yet available in Europe. Only the bHaptics face mask is expected to be available for purchase by the end of 2019. This face mask is similar to a VR Cover face mask that you stick on a VR headset. The mask comes in 'wide' and 'standard' versions. The wide version is suitable for the HTC Vive Pro, Vive Focus, and other larger headsets. The standard version fits all other VR headsets. With six individual vibration points, the face mask provides a unique experience. For example, if someone scores a headshot on you during a game of Pavlov VR, you will feel it directly in the feedback. Don't worry, you can easily adjust the intensity of the feedback yourself!
bHaptics Software, Native Support, and SDK
bHaptics has developed its own (free) software platform named bHaptics Designer and bHaptics Player. bHaptics Player is similar to SteamVR; you use this program to connect your bHaptics products to the computer. You can also test vibration points in this program by drawing a pattern, after which the vest will vibrate at the points you have drawn.
The other program, bHaptics Designer, is a developer tool. In this program, you can create your own sequence of patterns. This offers many exciting possibilities for developers who create their own VR content, as you can specify exactly where and when you want the vest to give haptic feedback. Imagine, for instance, that you are watching a horror movie, and just as a monster walks by, you feel a light vibration from the vest! This provides a unique experience as you not only watch the movie but almost feel physically present. Click here to read more about the programs.
bHaptics is natively compatible with several popular games such as Space Junkies, Tower Tag, and Arizona Sunshine. Besides these well-known titles, there are also many lesser-known games that work with bHaptics' haptic feedback! You can see an overview of all compatible games here. As haptic feedback suits become more popular, more games will become compatible. For now, there is already ample choice to experience haptic feedback.
Conclusion
bHaptics is a company making significant strides in the world of (affordable) VR haptics. The products are designed with practical use in mind. For example, extra attention has been paid to the weight and fit of the vests, ensuring they fit everyone and can be easily transferred to new players. This makes bHaptics products ideal for use in VR arcades, adding an extra dimension to the overall experience.