The guys from VRGluv have been working in secret on developing a full force feedback haptic glove for virtual reality for the past couple of months. But are now ready to unveil the product of their efforts. Also called the VRGluv, it is a haptic glove designed to be used in virtual reality and it has been designed to provide full force feedback and pressure sensing along with the finger tracking. The gloves work with both the new Vive trackers and the Vive controllers, as well as Oculus Touch.

Check out the features video below:

At first, I thought they looked uncomfortable and like it doesn’t provide much flexibility. But the guys over at VRGluv assured me that comfort was one of the things they focused on in the design and that the gloves weigh under a pound. This was quite an ambitious project, but from what I can see, they really pulled it off well. “The current high-end headsets are able to project a virtual world exceptionally well, and we decided that there is not currently a touch interface to match the performance of the headsets. That is why VRgluv was born. We wanted to make a glove that was not only packed with high-tech features, but something that was comfortable, stylish, functional, but most importantly, affordable.” The gloves are also adjustable for your hand size and don’t have any wires to connect to anything, which adds to comfort.

Software Compatibility and Full Force Feedback

In terms of software compatibility, the creators of VRGluv say that they have built an SDK and tools that will allow developers to easily add glove support to existing games or build new experiences. VRgluv has SDKs for both Unity and Unreal that will be released and is compatible with other VR development tools. They also continued by saying that, “We cannot wait to work with more developers to create new and exciting VR experiences that were not possible before.” Though it’s left to be seen how widely the tech will be adopted by content developers.

The VRGluv brings with it the opportunity to experience new things in VR, like feeling the shape of an object in your hand or having the accuracy to be able to actually spin a ball in your hand in VR. “We took haptic gloves a step further and included force sensors for each finger to provide real-time feedback about grip strength for a more immersive virtual reality experience. Now, you can actually feel the difference between hard and soft objects. Now you can crush, morph, squish, and interact with objects in virtual reality in a way that only VRgluv can,” VRGluv said in a press release. Also, because the controllers attach at the sides of the gloves, you have full mobility in virtual reality. Meaning that it will accurately track the position and even the rotation of your hand.

I can’t see a future in VR where we won’t have something like the VRGluv. The fine motor movements of haptic gloves with full force feedback allows for more interactive, immersive, and natural experiences. Not to mention the implications in fields besides gaming, such as medicine, education, and let’s be honest, VR porn.