Surround Haptics, a DRP technology for real-life gaming experience

Disney Research, Pittsburg (DRP) has shown off a revolutionary technology called ‘Surround Haptics’ that can bring real life experience in video gaming and film watching. Once you are playing a video game, your spine will shiver based on the movements, clashes and jolts of your characters thanks to the new technology. For instance, if you ride a car at its maximum speed and smash into a car coming opposite, your body will feel exactly like you are in a real car accident. Many other virtual experiences can be created to physical sensation with Surround Haptics.

Surround Haptics game play

The DRP technology is a simply ‘gaming chair,’ equipped with several simulating actuators, which will physically react to the virtual jolts, clashes and vibrations in a game or an action film. The gamer needs to sit in the chair to feel the innovative gaming experience in his/her body. The actuators will vibrate in response to the music and action from the game or film resulting in the shivering experience for the gamers. In short, the Surround Haptics system will realize the real virtual sensation for its users.

According to Ivan Poupyrev, co-developer of Surround Haptics, the technology has the capability to boost the perceptions of various movements like falling, flying, growing, shrinking and many more in the body of its users. The possibilities of the technology to merge the virtual and physical sensations are aplenty, he adds. More and more sensations can be added into the technology. Mr. Poupyrev developed Surround Haptics in company with another DRP scientist Ali Israr.

In fact, the haptic/touch sensation technology has been there for a while. But it is for the first time the technology is used to realize this degree of vibration deploying physical actuators. That means there is an extensive opportunity for similar physical gaming experience. More companies may come up to utilize the technology in future for more action-packed gaming experience.

Disney Research has developed ‘Surround Haptics’ for an upcoming “high intensity” driving simulation game from a team of Disney’s Black Rock Studio, Carnegie Mellon University and Roundcube Entertainment Ltd. Many researchers of the partners of DRP have also worked with the technology. In fact, the technology may soon hit the stores with the projected driving stimulator game.

DRP demoed a prototype of Surround Haptics at the 2011 SIGGRAPH in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company has not revealed when the game-changing technology will be available for public. Indeed, it is certain Surround Haptics will herald a new revolution in video gaming. The technology will also work superbly with action-packed films. That means theaters with Surround Haptics chairs will be there in future for the new revolution in film watching after the 3-dimensional technology.

Via: Planetsave