# WYVRN > WYVRN (pronounced "wyvern") is Razer Inc.'s developer ecosystem — a free, all-in-one SDK platform that equips game developers with AI tools, HD haptics, RGB lighting, and spatial audio to create immersive gaming experiences. WYVRN is not to be confused with the WyVRn VR game on Steam or the wyvrn.app messaging service. WYVRN is a product of Razer Inc., the world leader in gaming hardware and software. ## Overview - Website: https://www.wyvrn.com - Documentation: https://doc.wyvrn.com - Effects Library: https://tools.wyvrn.com/WyvrnEffectsLibrary/ - GitHub: https://github.com/WyvrnOfficial - Discord: https://discord.gg/M4zvTeYQCm - X / Twitter: https://x.com/WYVRN_official - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wyvrn-official/ - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa2J44sItXH4lW3oVyHKikQ - Parent company: Razer Inc. (https://www.razer.com) ## Key Facts - 450+ games made with WYVRN technologies - 50+ Chroma RGB ecosystem partners - Supports Unity and Unreal Engine - Free for game developers - Launched publicly at GDC in March 2025 ## Technology Pillars WYVRN encompasses four key technology pillars: ### 1. Razer AI Game Developer Tools AI-powered tools to transform game development workflows. - **Razer QA Co-AI**: Automated QA testing tool that helps developers scale their QA efforts with consistent, high-quality AI-driven tests. Streamlines the testing process to ensure a flawless game launch. - **Razer Game Assistant**: In-game guides and real-time esports coaching to help players improve and stay engaged. - QA Co-AI: https://www.razer.ai/qa/ - Docs: https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/razer-ai-gaming-tools/razer-qa-companion/ ### 2. Interhaptics / Haptics — Sensa HD Haptics The unparalleled design solution for game developers to bring gaming experiences to the next level with precise wideband haptics. - **Haptic Composer**: A dedicated authoring tool to design HD haptic effects and customize audio-to-haptics effects. - **Real-time haptics renderer** for console, mobile, XR, and PC. - Supports PlayStation DualSense controllers, Razer Sensa devices, and more. - Product page: https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/ - Docs: https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/interhaptics-sdk/ ### 3. Chroma RGB The world's largest RGB lighting ecosystem with over 50 hardware partners. Control 16.8 million colors and lighting effects that react to in-game actions in real time. - **Chroma RGB SDK**: Editor for developers to record Chroma animations using webcam, desktop capture, images, and video sources. - Native integration with Unity Engine and Unreal Engine. - Product page: https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/ - Chroma SDK docs: https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/chroma-sdk ### 4. THX Spatial Audio+ Truly lifelike spatial sound with pinpoint positional accuracy for greater awareness, focus, and immersion. - **THX Spatial Audio+ Plugin for Wwise**: Delivers stunning 7.1.4 audio playback over headphones. Immerses players in a rich, three-dimensional audio experience. - Product page: https://www.wyvrn.com/thx/ - GitHub releases: https://github.com/WyvrnOfficial/THX-Spatial-Audio-Wwise/releases/tag/release ## WYVRN Effects Library A growing collection of ready-made, plug-and-play haptic and RGB lighting effects for Unity and Unreal Engine. Developers can add immersive feedback to their builds in minutes without manual effect design. - Browse: https://tools.wyvrn.com/WyvrnEffectsLibrary/ - Docs: https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/wyvrn-effects-library/ - Note: Supports Razer devices and USB Lamp Array devices. ## Partner Studios Studios that have integrated WYVRN technologies include: Square Enix, Warner Bros., Konami, Focus Entertainment, Rebellion, IO Interactive, GSC Game World, Headup Games, Starbreeze, and more. ## Additional Resources - Blog: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/ - About Us: https://www.wyvrn.com/about-us/ - Download SDK: https://www.wyvrn.com/download/ - EULA: https://www.wyvrn.com/eula/ ## Quick FAQ Q: What is WYVRN? A: WYVRN is Razer's developer ecosystem that bundles AI tooling, HD haptics, Chroma RGB, and THX spatial audio for game development. Q: Is WYVRN free for game developers? A: Yes. WYVRN is free for game developers. Q: Which engines are supported? A: WYVRN supports Unity and Unreal Engine. Q: What is Interhaptics in WYVRN? A: Interhaptics is WYVRN's HD haptics solution, including authoring tools and runtime integration across platforms. It is also referred to as Haptics. Q: What is Haptics in WYVRN? A: Haptics is WYVRN's HD haptics solution, also referred to as Interhaptics. It covers the Haptics Engine, the Haptic Composer authoring tool, and runtime SDKs across console, mobile, XR, and PC. Q: What is Chroma RGB in WYVRN? A: Chroma RGB is WYVRN's real-time game lighting platform connected to a 50+ partner hardware ecosystem. Q: Where can developers get official docs? A: The official documentation is at https://doc.wyvrn.com. ## Common Use Cases - Add controller and peripheral haptics to improve gameplay feedback. - Synchronize RGB effects with in-game events for stronger immersion. - Integrate spatial audio plugins for better positional awareness. - Use AI tools to speed up QA and improve player guidance. - Ship one immersive stack instead of integrating multiple separate SDKs. ## Blog Articles (full text) ### Inside the Adaptive Immersion Platform: On-Device AI That Reads Your Game URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/inside-the-adaptive-immersion-platform-on-device-ai-that-reads-your-game/ Author: Adrian Tamas, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2026-08-28 · Category: Adaptive Immersion > Screen Sync, Mood Analyzer and Impact Engine turn the audio you already mixed and the frames you already render into lighting and haptics — no SDK call involved. Here is what they do, and how to design for them. The [Adaptive Immersion Platform](https://www.wyvrn.com/adaptive_immersive_experience/) is a context-aware immersion layer that generates ambient lighting and haptic effects in real time from visual and audio cues your game produces on the player's machine. It is complementary to authored effects, the kind shipped in titles such as 007 First Light, Battlefield 6, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill 2, Marvel Rivals, and provides a responsive baseline for the rest of the game. It is already live in [Razer Chroma](https://www.razer.com/chroma) for Windows: players can simply select the immersive features from the Chroma dashboard and adjust them per device, app, and game. For developers, there is another layer of value behind that simplicity. The platform is dynamic: it reads what the game is producing at that moment rather than what someone anticipated at integration time. A new map, a seasonal event, a balance patch that changes how a weapon sounds, or a procedural encounter all get lighting and haptics the day they ship, with no effects work behind them. Let’s dive in on how all of this works, and how it does impact the developer experience. #### Three Features, One Platform Adaptive Immersion Platform brings together three features, each designed to interpret a different type of gameplay context and translate it into responsive lighting or haptics: **● Screen Sync** analyzes the rendered game frame and drives Chroma lighting to reflect the colors and patterns content displayed on screen. **● Mood Analyzer** analyzes in-game music and drives Chroma lighting to reflect its mood and emotional character. **● Impact Engine** classifies in-game audio events and determines how intense the corresponding Razer Sensa HD Haptics response feels to the player. | Feature | Reads | Drives | Content | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Screen Sync | The rendered frame | Chroma lighting | Games and media | | Mood Analyzer | Musical content | Chroma lighting | Music | | Impact Engine | Audio events | Sensa HD Haptics intensity | Games and media | These rendering modes are based on a set of lightweight AI models running on the host device, we optimized their performance and execution logic to run alongside games. More on that later. The analyzed data do not leave the user device, and they are not in the class of language models. The AI models analyze the media they digest, down sampled screen or audio frame, and run inference for the output they are trained for. The end user can turn on and off these modes in the Chroma App today. Screen Synch and Mood Analyzer are mutually exclusive as they both control chroma; Impact Engine can run alongside them. #### Why It Runs On The Player's Machine Latency and privacy are the two main reasons why we chose to develop and deploy the models on the player’s PC. Haptics perception in particular is very sensible to multisensory latency, and the only way to ensure the best experience we could provide was to run the inference locally. Alongside latency, data privacy is fundamental to maintain the trust of the gamers. No data leaves the PC of the user. We also see in the future the rise of NPUs, which will become ubiquitous on the gamer's device. It was a no-brainer for us to focus where the action happen. #### Impact Engine Sits On Top Of Audio-to-Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/inside-the-chroma-immersive-platform-on-device-ai-that-reads-your-game/1789398346144-426326412.mp4 Impact engine does not directly synthetize haptics. Doing so would require classifying what’s going on in the content and associate a haptic effect, this approach has latencies in the 100s of milliseconds, which are incompatible with gaming. Impact Engine is a small on-device classifier listening to the system audio output continuously and identifies what kind of sound are present in the mix and their relative strength, driving audio haptics conversion based on this classification. [Razer Sensa HD Haptics](https://www.razer.com/technology/razer-sensa) already converts system audio into vibration, and that conversion is configurable. Synapse exposes four Audio-to-Haptics profiles — Controlled, Balanced, Dynamic and Custom — each with its own gain shaping. The different profiles can be bound to individual games and load automatically when a title takes the foreground. Impact Engine decides, moment to moment, how much of the conversion should be expressed, based on what the audio actually is. Here is the pipeline. | Audio content | Haptic response | | | --- | --- | --- | | Percussive, high-energy events such as gunfire, explosions and impacts | Strong | | | Sustained ambience and environmental sound | Low | | | Speech | None | | | Music | None | | When several kinds of sound are present in the same moment, which is what happens in any real mix, the most impactful of them is what the player feels. The intensity changes are shaped asymmetrically. Impacts rise instantly with no attack ramp. Tails decay gradually to avoid a choppy experience. We tuned the impact engine to generate the best gaming experience with a wide range of genres, and as a background on which designed haptics effects can shine. Music is treated the same way, which keeps a soundtrack from driving the haptics all game long. Where music is the point, in a rhythm game or a set-piece built around the score, there are two routes. A curated Audio-to-Haptics profile can apply gain on specific frequency intervals so the track itself carries the haptics, or the WYVRN SDK can author them explicitly. Next, let's look at Screen Sync, which handles the visual side of the system. #### Screen Sync Reads The Frame Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/inside-the-chroma-immersive-platform-on-device-ai-that-reads-your-game/1789396270193-886631368.mp4 Screen Sync watches the foreground window and drives Chroma lighting based on what's on screen. Screen Sync combines several lightweight vision models that read dominant colors, on-screen patterns, and the part of the frame that contains meaningful content. Together, they decide what lighting should be done at any given moment. This ensures compatibility with a wide range of monitor formats, windowed or not, and any image shape modification generated by cinematic scenes. We applied Razer’s 15 years of experience in Chroma RGB design to develop the best color model possible, complementing the experience. #### Mood Analyzer Handles Music Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/inside-the-chroma-immersive-platform-on-device-ai-that-reads-your-game/1789396322515-113526757.mp4 This mode reads the musical score instead of the frame. It listens to the audio, works out its emotional character and drives lighting from that. The mood palette is deliberately fine grained, with distinct readings for characters a coarse model would flatten together, so that an eerie passage and a frightening one do not land on the same lighting. Speech gets filtered out, so spoken content produces almost no reaction by design. And the result settles over a short window rather than reacting to every bar. Emotional state moves on a scale of seconds, so the lighting moves that way too. We are quite proud of this one as it is where we started developing all our local inference models and it looks awesome. #### The Timing Picture Each feature updates at the rate appropriate to the signal it is interpreting. | Feature | Analysis | Moves on | | --- | --- | --- | | Impact Engine | Audio event response | Fractions of a second, with immediate onset and a smooth decay | | Screen Sync | Dominant color | Fractions of a second | | Screen Sync | Pattern and active region | Seconds | | Mood Analyzer | Mood | Seconds | That gives the platform a fast channel for impact, a medium-speed channel for color, and slower channels for visual structure and emotional state. Each signal is updated or smoothed at the scale on which that signal actually changes, following the same basic logic as a film mix keeping separate stems for effects, ambience and score. Those rates explain how quickly the system reacts. For a developer, however, they raise the next practical question: if this analysis is running continuously while the player is in your game, how much of the machine does it use? #### What Does It Actually Costs We measured the system performance on 4 different machines to evaluate performances. | | A | B | C | D | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Form factor | Laptop | Desktop | Desktop | Laptop | | CPU | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus | Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus | AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 | | Discrete GPU | NVIDIA RTX 4090 Laptop | AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT | AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | None | | Integrated GPU | Intel UHD Graphics | Intel Graphics | Intel Graphics | AMD Radeon 890M | | NPU | None | Intel | Intel | AMD Ryzen | Between them they cover NVIDIA and AMD discrete cards, Intel and AMD processors, an Intel NPU and an AMD Ryzen AI NPU, and one machine with no NPU at all. The first useful question is not simply how much compute the models need, but where that compute runs. In particular, a game developer wants to know whether these features compete with the discrete GPU that is already rendering the game. #### Where The Work Lands The discrete GPU is not used to run inference, it is dedicated to gaming. If possible we avoid to use the CPU and rely on the integrated graphic card and the NPU to run the inference to leave CPU and discrete GPU free of any process and dedicated to the gaming experience. Where the work goes instead depends on which silicon is available on the device. The work goes to the NPU where the machine has one, and to the integrated GPU or CPU where it does not. #### Who Decides The models ship as ONNX and run on ONNX Runtime, with the hardware-specific acceleration supplied by Windows ML and integrated with the Execution Providers of the silicon vendors. That is why the placement can differ so completely between two machines with no per-machine configuration. Two things follow. Acceleration improves without a Razer release, since a better provider arriving through the platform is picked up automatically. And NPU coverage is not tied to one vendor, with Intel and AMD Ryzen AI both covered today. Windows ML execution providers require Windows 11 24H2. Below that it is handled on the generic hardware without specific silicon acceleration. #### What Each Feature Costs The next question is how much of the selected hardware each feature actually uses in a running session. The following measurements show steady-state process usage across all execution paths on each of the four machines, sampled every 500 ms. Each cell gives CPU % average, then iGPU % average. N/A means the path produced no measurement on that machine, either because it is not present or because silicon execution provider was unable to compile the model for the silicon. The last row of each table is the production selection, which is the configuration a player actually gets. - A: Intel Core i9-14900HX, RTX 4090 Laptop, Intel UHD Graphics, no NPU. - B: Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus, Radeon RX 9070 XT, Intel Graphics, Intel NPU. - C: Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, Radeon RX 7900 XT, Intel Graphics, Intel NPU. - D: AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Radeon 890M integrated, Ryzen AI NPU, no discrete GPU. ###### Impact Engine | Execution path | A (CPU \| iGPU avg) | B (CPU \| iGPU avg) | C (CPU \| iGPU avg) | D (CPU \| iGPU avg) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CPU | 0.2 \| 0.0 | 0.2 \| 0.0 | 0.1 \| 0.0 | 0.1 \| 0.0 | | CPU OpenVINO | 1.1 \| 0.0 | 1.4 \| 0.0 | 1.1 \| 0.0 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, DirectML | 0.1 \| 1.8 | 0.1 \| 0.3 | 0.0 \| 0.4 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, TensorRT RTX | 0.1 \| 2.8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Discrete GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Integrated GPU, DirectML | 0.1 \| 3.9 | 0.1 \| 4.9 | 0.1 \| 2.1 | 0.1 \| 1.1 | | Integrated GPU, OpenVINO | 0.2 \| 3.1 | 0.3 \| 22.7 | 0.1 \| 21.8 | N/A | | Integrated GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | NPU, OpenVINO | N/A | N/A | 1.1 \| 0.0 | N/A | | NPU, VitisAI | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Production selection | 0.2 \| 3.2 | 0.3 \| 22.5 | 0.1 \| 21.9 | 0.1 \| 0.0 | ###### Screen Sync | Execution path | A (CPU \| iGPU avg) | B (CPU \| iGPU avg) | C (CPU \| iGPU avg) | D (CPU \| iGPU avg) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CPU | 1.8 \| 0.2 | 2.2 \| 0.0 | 1.6 \| 0.0 | 3.1 \| 0.0 | | CPU, OpenVINO | 1.6 \| 0.1 | 2.2 \| 0.0 | 1.3 \| 0.0 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, DirectML | 2.0 \| 0.2 | 2.1 \| 0.0 | 1.4 \| 0.0 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, TensorRT RTX | 1.7 \| 0.2 | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Discrete GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | 2.0 \| 0.1 | 1.5 \| 0.0 | N/A | | Integrated GPU, DirectML | 1.7 \| 0.2 | 2.3 \| 0.1 | 1.4 \| 0.1 | 3.1 \| 0.0 | | Integrated GPU, OpenVINO | 1.8 \| 0.2 | 1.9 \| 0.7 | 1.7 \| 0.7 | N/A | | Integrated GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3.2 \| 0.0 | | NPU, OpenVINO | N/A | 1.6 \| 0.1 | 1.5 \| 0.1 | N/A | | NPU, VitisAI | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2.9 \| 0.1 | | Production selection | 1.6 \| 0.2 | 2.1 \| 0.1 | 1.4 \| 0.1 | 3.4 \| 0.1 | ###### Mood Analyzer | Execution path | A (CPU \| iGPU avg) | B (CPU \| iGPU avg) | C (CPU \| iGPU avg) | D (CPU \| iGPU avg) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | CPU | 0.9 \| 0.0 | 0.8 \| 0.0 | 0.8 \| 0.0 | 1.4 \| 0.0 | | CPU, OpenVINO | 1.5 \| 0.0 | 1.0 \| 0.0 | 1.0 \| 0.0 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, DirectML | 1.2 \| 0.5 | 0.7 \| 0.1 | 0.7 \| 0.1 | N/A | | Discrete GPU, TensorRT RTX | 1.1 \| 1.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Discrete GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Integrated GPU, DirectML | 1.3 \| 1.1 | 0.7 \| 1.4 | 0.7 \| 0.6 | 1.4 \| 0.3 | | Integrated GPU, OpenVINO | 1.0 \| 0.9 | 1.5 \| 5.8 | 0.9 \| 5.5 | N/A | | Integrated GPU, MIGraphX | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | NPU, OpenVINO | N/A | N/A | 1.0 \| 0.1 | N/A | | NPU, VitisAI | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | | Production selection | 0.9 \| 0.8 | 2.4 \| 5.7 | 2.0 \| 6.0 | 1.6 \| 0.0 | During the game session, inference should run on NPU or iGPU, which are unused during gaming sessions without driving significant resources. Even if run on the discrete GPU, it averages the 0.2% of resources. In real world usage, these compute consumptions are not impacting the gaming experience in meaningful ways. Utilization tells us how much of the machine the features occupy. There is one more performance question to answer: whether each individual inference finishes quickly enough to stay inside the update rates described earlier. The following measurements show the per-inference cost of each model on its production device, with a warm cache, on machines A to D. | Feature | A | B | C | D | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Impact Engine | 10.2 ms | 7.2 ms | 4.8 ms | 4.2 ms | | Screen Sync | 12.0 ms | 10.0 ms | 9.6 ms | 2.4 ms | | Mood Analyzer | 13.7 ms | 11.1 ms | 8.2 ms | 5.3 ms | Every feature completes well within the interval between its analyses, in a few milliseconds on all four machines. All of these measurements in the tables above come from four configurations, taken in a benchmark host process with no game running alongside. Read them as the shape of the cost rather than as a guarantee for a given title on arbitrary hardware. #### How Does It Blend With The WYVRN SDK? The Adaptive Immersion Platform and explicit SDK integration solve different problems, and titles that want a deeper immersive experience can use both. That is the case we made after GDC in [Adaptive Immersive Experience: Context-Aware Haptics in a Multisensory Effects Engine](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/adaptive-immersive-experience-context-aware-haptics-in-a-multisensory-effects-engine-): modern games have grown too complex for purely event-driven effects, and a context-aware layer running alongside authored ones is how immersion scales with them. This section is about where the line between the two falls in practice. [The WYVRN SDK](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/) allows developers to name events for game state, player state, abilities, actions, and environments. Those events can then trigger custom-designed Chroma lighting, haptic effects, or both at once. These events happen often and need to be handcrafted to generate the best experience. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/inside-the-chroma-immersive-platform-on-device-ai-that-reads-your-game/1789481643321-721469645.mp4 *[Screamer by Milestone](https://milestone.it/games/screamer/), combining designer-authored effects with Screen Sync. Screen Sync handles the ambient lighting throughout the lap, while boosts and collisions trigger custom effects through the WYVRN SDK. * For players, combining the adaptive layer with authored effects creates a richer experience: authored effects bring precision to key game moments, while the Adaptive Immersion Platform keeps the rest of the game responsive and immersive. | Adaptive Immersion Platform | WYVRN SDK | | | --- | --- | --- | | Broad coverage at no engineering cost | A specific effect at a specific moment | | | Emergent or procedural moments you cannot author ahead of time | Scripted moments where you know the timing | | | Titles that have already shipped | Titles in active development | | | Approximate, content-derived response is sufficient | Exact control over color, timing or haptic waveform | | | Music-driven haptics are not required | Music-driven or rhythmic haptics are core to the design | | For developers, the best approach is therefore to let the Adaptive Immersion Platform provide broad ambient coverage and use the WYVRN SDK to author explicit effects for signature moments where exact behavior matters. The two layers are complementary rather than competing. Today those two layers are wired separately. The platform is a player-side setting in Razer Chroma, and the SDK is the developer's integration; That changes with the next phase of the WYVRN SDK, which brings the inference platform into the developer pipeline. A title will be able to enable and disable the three features from code, scene by scene, and combine them with authored effects at specific moments, so the adaptive layer becomes something you direct rather than something the player switches on. Timing and details will be announced through the WYVRN developer channels. And taking that route does not mean building every effect from scratch. Razer Indie Lab offers a [ready-made library of Chroma and haptic effects](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/wyvrn-effects-library/) you can draw from, which covers a lot of ground, especially for small teams with no dedicated immersion budget. For larger productions, there is also a direct partnership route with Razer, where Razer’s immersive team can design effects for the game. We are excited to continue pushing the edges of what haptics and RGB lighting can bring to the gaming immersion. More to come, stay tuned. *Building with WYVRN? The SDK, documentation and integration guides are at [doc.wyvrn.com.](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/)Full behavioral reference for these features lives in the [Adaptive Immersion Platform documentation.](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/razer-ai-gaming-tools/on-device-ai/chroma-immersive-platform/)* --- ### AI-Assisted QA in Modern Game Development Workflows URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/ai-assisted-qa-in-modern-game-development-workflows-2/ Author: Sergio Schiavo, Technical Account Manager · Published: 2026-07-28 · Category: Game QA > AI-assisted QA is changing game development—but not by replacing testers. Its real value lies in capturing the context, evidence, and performance data teams need to understand and resolve issues more efficiently. The biggest QA problem in modern game development is not that studios fail to find bugs. It is that too many bugs arrive without enough context to fix them efficiently. A tester reproduces an issue after a 40-minute session, but the exact trigger is unclear. A performance spike appears during combat, yet nobody captured the system state when it happened. A Jira ticket includes a screenshot and a short description, but engineering still cannot reliably reproduce the problem. None of this is unusual. As games become larger, more systemic, and increasingly interconnected, the cost of missing technical evidence grows across the entire production pipeline. QA slows down, engineering spends more time reconstructing issues, and triage becomes increasingly expensive. This is where AI-assisted QA is starting to find a practical role in game development — not as a replacement for QA teams, but as a way to improve visibility across testing workflows. #### Human QA Is Not Going Anywhere The conversation around AI in game development often swings between extremes. On one side, AI is framed as a revolutionary force that will fully automate game testing. On the other, many developers remain skeptical, viewing AI as another layer of production complexity added to pipelines that are already difficult to manage. The reality is much more practical. Experienced testers do far more than identify technical failures. They recognize when combat feedback feels inconsistent. They notice when a progression loop becomes exhausting after repeated play. They identify unclear UX flows, pacing problems, awkward onboarding, or subtle interactions that technically “work,” but feel wrong in practice. A system can detect a crash or flag a frame drop. It cannot reliably determine whether traversal feels satisfying, whether players understand a tutorial naturally, or whether a boss encounter creates frustration for the wrong reasons. Games are ultimately experiential systems and human interpretation remains central to evaluating them. What AI-assisted QA changes is not the role of the tester itself. It changes the amount of manual overhead surrounding the tester’s work. Modern QA teams spend significant time reproducing issues, collecting gameplay evidence, writing reports, attaching logs, gathering telemetry, and communicating technical details between QA and engineering. Those tasks are necessary, but they are not where human expertise creates the most value. That is where assisted workflows begin to matter. #### The Real Bottleneck Often Starts After the Bug Is Found A surprising amount of production time is lost not on discovering issues, but on [reconstructing them afterward.](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-current-state-of-game-qa-challenges-bottlenecks-and-future-needs-7) A bug report without enough detail may bounce between QA and engineering several times before anyone can act on it confidently. A performance regression might appear only under specific gameplay conditions that nobody has fully documented. A gameplay sequence may fail intermittently, leaving developers without enough runtime data to isolate the root cause. These situations are expensive because they interrupt flow across multiple teams simultaneously. Engineering waits for more information. QA attempts to reproduce again. Producers lose visibility into issue severity. Designers struggle to understand whether a problem is systemic or isolated. As projects scale, these inefficiencies compound. This is why many studios are becoming less focused on pure bug volume and more focused on diagnostic quality: how clearly and reproducibly an issue moves through the game development pipeline. Finding bugs matters. Preserving the surrounding gameplay and technical state matters just as much. #### What AI-Assisted QA Actually Means One of the biggest misconceptions around QA automation is the idea that it attempts to automate creative judgment. The more practical implementations are far less dramatic. Most useful systems focus on three things: - preserving gameplay evidence - monitoring runtime performance - reducing manual documentation work In other words, the value comes from reducing ambiguity rather than replace human evaluation. #### Context Capture During Gameplay One of the most common problems in QA is missing information around an issue. What happened before the bug appeared? What build was running? Did memory usage spike beforehand? Was the issue tied to a specific gameplay state, hardware configuration, or sequence of inputs? Traditionally, much of this information has to be gathered manually after the fact. That approach works — until it doesn’t. Modern assisted QA workflows increasingly automate parts of this capture process during gameplay itself. Depending on the tooling, that may include: - gameplay video - screenshots - timestamps - hardware information - logs - build metadata - FPS, CPU, GPU, and memory telemetry - surrounding gameplay context before and after the issue This becomes particularly valuable for intermittent bugs, crash reproduction, and performance instability, where recreating the issue alone may already consume significant development time. The important shift here is toward automatically preserving technical evidence before it disappears. #### Continuous Performance Visibility Performance problems are particularly difficult to track consistently through manual observation alone. A tester may notice a visible frame drop, but many performance regressions are more subtle. CPU spikes, GPU instability, memory growth, and FPS drops can emerge gradually across long play sessions or specific gameplay conditions. These issues become dangerous because they often remain invisible until late in development. Continuous monitoring changes that dynamic. Instead of relying entirely on human observation, AI-assisted QA systems can monitor runtime performance during gameplay and preserve diagnostic data whenever predefined thresholds are breached. For example, a QA workflow can track FPS, CPU usage, GPU usage, and memory consumption in real time. When predefined thresholds are breached, the system can flag the issue and preserve the surrounding context for later review. That does not replace dedicated performance testing or optimization work. But it gives teams earlier visibility into technical instability before it evolves into a late-stage production problem. For smaller teams especially, that matters. #### Smarter Bug Reporting Workflows Another major improvement comes from reducing manual reporting overhead. Bug reports are only useful when they are clear, complete, and actionable. But writing high-quality reports takes time, especially when testers need to collect screenshots, recordings, logs, reproduction steps, system data, and project metadata separately. AI-assisted QA workflows can streamline this process by generating structured reports, attaching relevant evidence automatically, linking gameplay recordings and crash data, and populating build or session information directly inside the ticket. The tester still validates the issue and provides the gameplay context that automation cannot interpret on its own. But the documentation process becomes faster, more consistent, and easier for engineering teams to act on. That consistency matters. It reduces back-and-forth communication, shortens triage, and helps teams focus on solving the problem rather than reconstructing what happened. #### Traditional QA Workflow vs. AI-Assisted Workflow: A Practical Scenario Consider a fairly common production scenario. A tester encounters a severe FPS drop during a combat encounter late in a long play session. ##### Traditional workflow The tester notices the issue and attempts to recreate it manually. They capture a screenshot, try to remember what happened beforehand, gather logs separately, write reproduction steps, and submit a Jira ticket. Engineering investigates, but several questions remain unclear: - Was memory already degrading earlier? - Did the issue begin after a specific enemy spawn? - Was GPU usage saturated? - Did the issue appear only on that hardware configuration? - What happened immediately before the drop? QA may need to reproduce the issue again before debugging can continue. ##### AI-assisted workflow The tester still identifies the issue. But surrounding gameplay context is already preserved automatically: gameplay footage, telemetry, hardware data, timestamps, logs, and build information. A structured ticket can be created with richer context, giving engineering a clearer path to reproduction and triage. Engineering begins investigation with full evidence, reducing the amount of reconstruction required before actual debugging starts. That difference becomes increasingly important as projects grow in complexity. The improvement is not simply about speed—it is about improving the quality and completeness of the signal moving through the production pipeline. #### Where AI Fits Into the Existing Pipeline For[AI-assisted QA](https://www.razer.ai/qac/) to be useful, it cannot sit outside the team’s workflow. Studios already have established production habits: internal playtests, milestone validation, regression passes, Jira workflows, build reviews, external QA cycles, and communication between QA, producers, designers, and engineers. A useful AI-assisted QA system should support those habits, not force teams to rebuild them. The best place for AI is often inside the moments where context is usually lost: - when a tester encounters an issue but did not record the previous 20 seconds - when a performance drop happens during normal gameplay - when a Jira ticket lacks enough evidence - when a gameplay sequence breaks but the cause is unclear - when engineering needs more context than the written report provides In those moments, assisted QA does not change who owns quality. It improves the information available to the people already responsible for it. #### Why This Matters for Small and Mid-Sized Studios Large AAA studios can sometimes absorb inefficient workflows through sheer scale. They have dedicated QA departments, internal tooling teams, and specialized infrastructure built over years of production. Smaller studios usually do not. Many independent and mid-sized teams are expected to maintain quality across multiple platforms, validate increasingly complex systems, move rapidly between milestones, and manage production with limited QA resources. Under those conditions, even small workflow inefficiencies become expensive. AI-assisted QA offers these teams a way to scale visibility and consistency without requiring a massive increase in headcount. It can help reduce repetitive overhead, accelerate validation cycles, improve engineering efficiency, surface issues earlier, and maintain quality standards under production pressure. or many studios, this is less about replacing labor and more about making existing teams more sustainable by reducing the amount of production energy lost to ambiguity. #### The Future of Game QA Is Hybrid The most realistic future for game QA is probably not full automation. Game development is too creative, too systemic, and too dependent on human experience for that. What is emerging instead is a hybrid model where human testers remain central, while AI-assisted systems reduce repetitive overhead and preserve production evidence more effectively. Studios are not searching for a machine that understands games better than people. They are searching for workflows that help teams move faster, communicate more clearly, and spend less time reconstructing technical problems from incomplete evidence. The studios that adapt successfully will not necessarily be the ones automating the most, but the ones creating workflows where testers, engineers, designers, and automated systems work together efficiently. Because modern QA is no longer just about finding bugs. It is about capturing the right context, surfacing the right signals, and turning gameplay data into actionable insight across production before valuable context disappears. --- ### The Quiet Power of Haptics in 007 First Light URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/ Author: Vasguen Vardanian, Immersive Experience Designer · Published: 2026-07-16 · Category: Effects Design > The most effective haptic effect may be the one you barely notice. 007 First Light shows how restraint, timing, and contrast can communicate stealth, weapon power, and player intent. In a spy game, not every sensation should shout. Today, we’re diving into 007 First Light to explore a design intention that is easy to underestimate and yet hard to master: **subtlety.** 007 First Light is a useful case study in haptic design for games: how small, precise effects can support tension, stealth, and player feedback without overwhelming the experience. In our previous articles on [Marvel Rivals](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution) and [Battlefield 6](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6), we looked at haptics and Chroma effects through impact, movement, and spectacle. Here, the same foundations are used in a quieter way. This is a game of tension, infiltration, and discretion: Bond moves through guarded areas, bluffs his way past suspicion, and only occasionally lets things get loud. If every effect across the [Razer Freyja,](https://www.razer.com/gaming-chairs-accessories/razer-freyja) [Wolverine V3 Pro](https://www.razer.com/console-controllers/razer-wolverine-v3-pro) and [Kraken V4 Pro](https://www.razer.com/gaming-headsets/razer-kraken-v4-pro) played at full strength, the experience would become exhausting — and worse, the big moments would lose all their impact. That is the key lesson for developers working with haptic feedback in games: subtle feedback is not weaker feedback. It is feedback with a narrower job. This article moves through a selection of haptic and Chroma effects from 007 First Light, from the most discreet interactions to the most forceful, to show how restraint shapes readability, pacing, weapon hierarchy, and player intent. #### Bluff: Minimal Confirmation A successful bluff should be felt, but barely noticed. The Bluff sits at the heart of the spy fantasy: convincing a guard to let you through when he really shouldn’t. Here, the player needs confirmation that the deception worked, but a strong effect would break the social tension of the moment. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784204989305-996568625.mp4 The haptic solution is reduced to one discreet transient at moderate amplitude, distributed across the body. No note, no envelope, no dramatic tail. Just a single pulse that validates the action and disappears immediately. The Chroma layer follows the same rule of economy. A brief violet pulse—a color reserved for Bond’s spycraft throughout the game—confirms the interaction without competing with the scene. The takeaway here is simple: confirmation feedback does not always need duration. Sometimes one well-placed transient is enough. #### Lure: Same Vocabulary, Different Localization The Lure lets the player draw a guard’s attention and move him away from their position. It is close to the Bluff in spirit, and the haptic reflects that kinship: it’s the exact same effect, with one difference — it only plays on the chest. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205004681-548191248.mp4 This is one of the most economical tools in haptic design. Two stealth actions can feel related without feeling identical. The player learns the distinction not through more intensity, but through placement. That only works when effects are subtle enough for localization to remain perceptible. If both interactions were too strong, the difference would be harder to read. If you are designing haptic experiences in games, this is an important principle to learn: localization can do the work that amplitude usually does. #### Focus On / Focus Off: Communicating State Change When Bond enters his focus state, the world sharpens. The challenge here is to communicate a shift in perception without suggesting impact, collision, or physical force. Nothing is hitting Bond. The player is just entering a different state. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205021851-223463506.mp4 For that reason, amplitude is deliberately capped at half its maximum value. The main information is carried by frequency. On activation, the frequency rises progressively. On deactivation, it falls along the inverse curve. The player does not feel a stronger or weaker vibration, but a direction: upward when entering focus, downward when leaving it. It’s the frequency, not the amplitude, that carries the information. For haptic designers, this is a useful reminder that frequency can communicate change without increasing intensity. When amplitude stays controlled, a rising or falling frequency curve can still give the player a clear sense of transition, direction, and state change. The Chroma effects follow the same logic. A deep blue intensifies on activation and fades on release, reinforcing the idea of perception opening and closing. #### DartPhone: A Two-Step Effect The DartPhone works in two stages: arming the device, then firing. The goal here is for the player to understand that mechanism through touch alone. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205035575-730356335.mp4 The haptic effect follows the same structure. First, a gentle rise in amplitude, paired with frequency gliding upward. This creates anticipation. Then, immediately after, a single isolated transient at full strength marks the shot. Two simple elements, clearly separated in time: preparation, then release. The Chroma animation tells the same story in light: two silver-white pulses, one soft, one sharp. This is a strong example of haptic sequencing. The effect does not simply decorate the action; it reflects how the interaction works. Here, timing communicates the mechanism's function. A haptic effect can tell the player not only that something happened, but how it happened. #### Restricted Area: Warning Without Fatigue Restricted areas need to warn the player without punishing them. The signal has to say: you are entering a risky space, but the situation is still recoverable. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205052140-398620827.mp4 The effect uses two short transients, with the second weaker than the first. A decreasing double-tap, over almost immediately. It informs without alarming. That short duration matters. Because the effect is light and quick, it can repeat as the situation evolves without becoming irritating. In stealth design, this is critical. A warning that repeats too aggressively becomes noise. A warning that is too weak becomes invisible. The amber Chroma lighting carries the growing tension more gradually, building intensity while the vibration stays minimal. This is a good example of splitting the sensory workload. Restraint is not about making every layer soft. It is about deciding which layer should carry which signal. If you are designing haptic feedback for stealth, UI alerts, or proximity warnings, remember that repeatability should be part of the design brief from the beginning. #### Weapon Feedback: Building Power Without Losing Restraint Weapon haptics are often where designers are tempted to push amplitude as high as possible. But in 007 First Light, even the combat feedback follows the logic of restraint. The weapon hierarchy is not created only by making every gun stronger than the last. It is shaped through a combination of amplitude, decay, cadence, transients, and triggering logic. #### Pistol: A Controlled Shot Even when things get loud, 007 First Light remains a spy game. The pistol is Bond’s signature weapon, and the haptic intention is precise and contained. It does not need to feel explosive. It needs to feel accurate. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205072926-968719879.mp4 The amplitude never reaches maximum. The frequency drops quickly after the impact. A single transient marks the crack of the shot. It follows the classic structure of a weapon effect — attack, then decay — but with a lower ceiling and a shorter tail. The result is clean, sharp, and controlled rather than heavy. #### SMG: Power Through Cadence The SMG is a good example of how much of haptic design happens outside the effect itself. Instead of using a bigger effect than the pistol, the SMG uses the same base effect, triggered on every bullet. Because the weapon fires in rapid bursts, the perceived power comes from accumulation. Each individual impact remains light, but cadence multiplies the sensation. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205112038-690898452.mp4 The SMG ends up feeling more powerful than the pistol while staying light at its core — exactly what a fast weapon needs. This is an important lesson for real gameplay conditions. A haptic effect should not be judged only in isolation. It should be tested in the rhythm of the action that triggers it. Subtlety does not only live inside the effect itself. It also lives in how the game calls that effect. #### Shotgun: Setting the Upper Limit Every discreet system needs its ceiling, and in 007 First Light, that ceiling is the shotgun. It’s the strongest effect in the set: maximum amplitude held in a plateau, a long decay, and several powerful transients packed into the very first moments of the shot. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205128500-980245180.mp4 And yet, even here, restraint is present. The frequency stays low and oscillates slightly throughout the effect. That gives the shot weight and recoil rather than pure aggression. This is where the whole haptic design philosophy pays off. The shotgun feels enormous precisely because everything else in the game has been held back. If every interaction played at this level, the shotgun would stop feeling special. #### Assault Rifle: Softening Weight Through Truncation The assault rifle combines the two previous ideas, but in the opposite direction from the SMG. Instead of multiplying a light effect, it borrows the heaviest effect in the arsenal — the shotgun effect we just covered — and triggers it on every bullet with Override mixing. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205139921-57481683.mp4 This works because the shotgun effect ends with a long decay. At assault rifle cadence, each new shot cuts off the previous one before that tail can fully play out. The player receives the strong attack of each impact, but never the full weight of the decay. The perception is softened while each shot keeps its strength. The result sits where it should in the weapon hierarchy: more imposing than the SMG, but not exhausting. Together, the SMG and the assault rifle illustrate two sides of the same principle — you can strengthen a soft effect through cadence, or soften a heavy one through truncation. This is one of the most important practical ideas in the article: implementation logic can change the perceived intensity of a haptic effect as much as the effect design itself. #### Player Intent: Kick Door vs Sabotage Door The clearest example of expressive haptic design comes from the door breach interaction. In 007 First Light, a locked door can be opened in two ways. The player can kick it open, choosing the loud approach. Or they can sabotage it, choosing the silent approach. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205150510-559905454.mp4 Kick the door open, and the haptics deliver maximum amplitude across the whole body, a falling frequency, and a full-strength transient. It is direct, physical, and forceful. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/the-quiet-power-of-haptics-in-007-first-light/1784205160194-534334571.mp4 Sabotage the door, and the effect becomes almost surgical: an ultra-brief amplitude spike, reached in a few milliseconds and gone just as fast, with no transient at all. A simple snap — the mechanism giving way, nothing more. The Chroma layer marks the same contrast. A red flash supports the kicked door, placing it in the same color family as gunshots. The sabotage uses the violet of Bond’s gadgets, appearing for barely half a second. Same door. Same outcome. Two completely different sensations. This is where haptics move beyond action confirmation. They translate the way the player has chosen to play. #### What 007 First Light Teaches About Haptic Design Across these examples, subtlety is not the absence of design. It is one of haptics’ most demanding disciplines. When raw amplitude is reduced, every other parameter has to work harder. A transient can validate an action. Frequency can signal direction. Localization can separate similar interactions. Timing can explain a mechanism. Triggering logic can define the feel of an entire weapon class. And the even larger lesson here is contrast. Quiet effects are not quiet for their own sake. They protect the impact of the moments that should feel loud. In a game built around tension, discretion, and controlled escalation, restraint becomes a design tool — not just a stylistic choice. Subtlety opens up a range of possibilities we’ve only begun to explore, and we look forward to pushing it further in future games. If you are exploring how to bring this kind of tactile feedback into your own games, take a look at our[Haptics technology](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/), which is great for integrating cross-platform haptics, and use our [Haptic Composer](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/tech/haptic-composer/) to create, test, and refine your custom effects --- ### Razer Indie Lab: A Program For Small Studios With Big Visions URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/razer-indie-lab-a-program-for-small-studios-with-big-visions--1/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-06-29 · Category: Razer Indie Lab > Up to 80% of indie games never find their audience. Razer Indie Lab is out to change that — handing small studios AAA-grade immersion tech, a game QA automation tool, and the reach to get noticed. **Indie is the heart of gaming.** A huge share of new games comes from small studios. But behind that creative energy is a tougher reality: up to 80% of indie titles never gain real visibility. Even a recent standout like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a rare exception that proves the point: for every game that breaks through, many more fail to reach an audience. And visibility is only part of it. Many studios move toward launch with very limited budget, which often means no dedicated QA support, no real marketing reach, and luck of immersive features players now expect to find in every game. That is where Razer Indie Lab comes in. [Razer Indie Lab](https://www.wyvrn.com/indielab/)is built for the kind of team we see across the indie space every day: a small studio, or even a solo developer, with serious ambition. Building for PC first, with eyes on more. A team wearing multiple hats, moving fast, and trying to do more with limited time and resources. If that sounds like your studio, this program is for you. #### What Razer Indie Lab Helps With Razer Indie Lab focuses on the areas where indie teams feel the most pressure: ##### AAA-level Immersion Players do not only notice how a game looks. They remember how it feels. Features like [HD haptics](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/), [reactive RGB](https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/), and [spatial audio](https://www.wyvrn.com/thx/) can make a game feel richer and more distinctive. But for many indie teams, they sit outside the budget or bandwidth of a production already stretched thin. Through Razer Indie Lab, developers get access to immersive technologies, integration tools, and [ready-made effect library](https://tools.wyvrn.com/WyvrnEffectsLibrary/) that make these features easier to implement. Teams can build custom effects from scratch or use the ready-made ones to create multi-sensory experiences that fit their game. ###### A Real Example: Immersion In Action This is not a future promise. Razer immersive technologies are already being used in indie games to create richer, more responsive experiences. One of the most active publishers in the indie scene – **[Headup](https://www.headupgames.com/)** – with titles like **Industria 2, Causal Loop, Symphonia,** and **Super Meat Boy 3D** shows how haptics, lighting, and spatial audio can add texture and character in very different ways. ###### Industria 2 [Bleakmill studio] [Industria 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2154070/INDUSTRIA_2/)** **([Bleakmill](https://www.bleakmill.com/))** **built its immersive identity around weapon feel, with a distinct haptic signature for every firearm in the player's hands. The pistol delivers a short, clean detonation that fades fast. The SMG is buzzier and looped in the config, reproducing the bite of rapid automatic fire. The revolver adds a deliberate ~90ms delay between the start of the effect and the snap, recreating the "cock then fire" rhythm of the weapon. The shotgun goes furthest: five rapid impacts over a saturated vibration, followed by a 1.5-second rumbling tail closer to physical recoil than a game effect. Landings hit with a low 30–50 Hz thud across hand and legs to sell the weight of the fall. You don’t just fire weapons—you read them through your hands before your brain catches up. ###### Causal Loop [Mirebound Interactive] [Causal Loop](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3374460/Causal_Loop/) ([Mirebound Interactive](https://www.mirebound.com/)) uses color and haptics as a puzzle-solving language. The Branch mechanic lets players release up to three temporal duplicates, each assigned a color—white, blue, green, or red—that propagates across the full Chroma setup so the active echo is always readable. Haptic profiles are built around state transitions: teleport charges as a leg-focused ramp resolving into a full-body burst at trigger; antigravity uses a short entry pulse, low-intensity oscillation during suspension, and a sharp exit cue. You decode the system before you even realize it—your hands move, your brain follows. #### Symphonia [Sunny Peak] **[Symphonia](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1865960/Symphonia/)**([Sunny Peak](https://www.symphonia-game.com/)) maps haptics to movement rhythm: jumps, landings, and wall-jumps trigger feedback on the matching left or right zone of the Freyja cushion, with Chroma flashing red on mistimed landings. Stay in rhythm, and everything flows. Slip, and the game lets you feel it instantly. #### Super Meat Boy 3D Indie Game [Super Meat Boy 3D](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3288210/Super_Meat_Boy_3D/) ([Sluggerfly](https://www.sluggerfly.com/)) took the opposite approach: chaos by design. 27 Chroma-haptic effects, including eight distinct death reactions. Getting electrocuted feels nothing like being vertically sliced. Jumps flow upward through the Freyja, dashes splinter into crackling micro-bursts on the Sensa HD Haptics controller, and every death has its own signature. Failure stops being a reset—it becomes part of the spectacle you can’t ignore. Each of these developer teams used Razer's immersion tools in a way that fits their game, not the other way around. ##### Global Audience Reach **One of the biggest challenges in indie game development is not quality. It is discoverability. ** Razer Indie Lab gives selected studios a chance to access co-marketing opportunities across Razer channels, from social channels to editorial content, with the potential to reach millions of players already active in the ecosystem. The intent is simple: if you are building something strong, there should be more ways to help it reach a global audience. #### Coming soon: AI-driven QA For small teams, QA is often one of the first bottlenecks. Without dedicated QA headcount, bugs can slip through, feedback can be hard to structure, and developers can lose valuable time trying to reproduce issues after the fact. That is why Razer is developing **[Razer QA Companion-AI](https://razer.ai/qa)**, an upcoming tool designed to make QA faster, clearer, and easier to manage for game teams. The goal is simple: help developers identify issues, capture useful context, and turn gameplay problems into structured reports that are easier to review, share, and act on. Instead of spending extra time manually documenting every issue, teams will be able to focus more energy on fixing what matters most to the player experience. **Razer QA Companion-AI is coming soon to Razer Indie Lab.** **Registered participants will be among the first to get access as the tool becomes available.** #### Built to Be Simple Razer Indie Lab is meant to be straightforward. There is no heavy onboarding, no unnecessary friction. Join the program, get access to the tools and resources, start building, start testing, and stay connected as new opportunities roll out. Just practical support for teams trying to do a lot with limited time and resources. **[Join Razer Indie Lab](https://www.wyvrn.com/indielab/)** --- ### From Rumble to Sensory Gameplay: How Touch Is Changing the Way Games Communicate URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/from-rumble-to-sensory-gameplay-how-touch-is-changing-the-way-games-communicate-/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-06-11 · Category: Haptic Technology > Games have always spoken to players through visuals and sound. Now, touch is becoming part of that language. This article looks at how HD haptics, full-body feedback, and adaptive systems are changing the way games communicate with players. For years, “vibration” in games was treated as a simple add-on—useful, but rarely essential. Today, that has fundamentally changed. HD haptics have turned touch into a much more expressive sensory channel. They can now communicate texture, direction, impact, and even emotion—things visuals and audio alone struggle to convey. So what is the real difference between traditional rumble and HD haptics? Rumble is usually broad and blunt. HD haptics, by contrast, deliver diverse, layered, and clearly readable sensations. They feel intentional, not generic. Haptics is now moving from a peripheral effect to a core part of immersive game design, especially as tactile feedback is increasingly combined with spatial audio for games and ambient lighting. To understand why this matters, it helps to look at how haptics evolved — and where they are going next. #### How Haptics Evolved from Simple Rumble to HD Feedback Early gaming haptics date back to the late 1990s, with devices like the Nintendo Rumble Pak and the first DUALSHOCK controllers. These systems relied on **eccentric rotating mass motors, or ERMs**: small motors that spin an off-center weight to create vibration. ERMs are inexpensive and effective at producing broad rumble effects, such as explosions, collisions, or danger signals. But they come with clear limitations. Because the motor needs time to spin up and slow down, ERMs struggle with fast, precise, or highly varied feedback. A gunshot, a surface texture, or a sharp directional cue can easily become the same generic buzz. A major shift began in 2015 with the introduction of** linear resonant actuators (LRAs)** in smartphones. LRAs respond faster than ERMs and are better at producing crisp, precise signals —like simulating a mechanical click. This explains why modern phone haptics often feel sharper than older controller vibration. But LRAs also have limits. They usually work best around a fixed resonance frequency, which can make feedback feel repetitive or buzzy over time. That is useful for confirmation feedback, but less effective when the goal is deep, varied immersion. In 2016, the Nintendo Switch showed a different direction with **blended-frequency haptics**. While not fully wideband, it demonstrated that haptics could communicate more than intensity alone. Its well-known “ice cube” demo, where players could feel virtual cubes moving inside the controller, showed that haptics could also communicate movement, material, and presence. The real breakthrough arrived in 2020 with the DualSense controller from PlayStation. By combining force feedback with wideband voice-coil actuators, it introduced what we now call **HD haptics.** Wideband systems can generate a much wider range of tactile frequencies and patterns. Instead of one vibration signal, developers can create nuanced sensations that are easier to distinguish from one another. This gives touch a richer vocabulary: rain can feel different from sand, recoil—from an engine, and impact can carry direction as well as force. This matters because touch is the fastest human sense. Even very small delays can make an interaction feel wrong. Fast actuation is therefore not just a technical upgrade. It is what makes haptic feedback believable. For a quick visual breakdown, check out our[infographics on the evolution of haptics.](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-evolution-from-rumble-to-immersion-1) #### Why Do HD Haptics Matter for Players and Studios For studios, the question is simple: do HD haptics improve player experience in a meaningful way? When designed well, they do. Good haptics make interactions feel more physical, more responsive, and more memorable. They can improve the first impression of a game when the experience is played as intended. And a strong first impression drives better reviews, wider coverage, and higher player retention —key contributors to long-term commercial success. This does not mean haptics are equally important in every genre or for every player. Competitive esports players may reduce or disable vibration to avoid distraction and prioritize performance. But in action, adventure, horror, racing, simulation, and narrative-driven games, HD haptics can significantly increase engagement. A strong example is Astro Bot on PlayStation 5. What began as a showcase for the DualSense controller evolved into a full game where haptics are deeply embedded in gameplay mechanics. This answers an important design question: can haptics be more than a presentation layer? In this, and many other cases, yes. The experience simply does not function the same way without them. HD haptics become part of the game’s language itself. Another important dimension to consider is accessibility. Because wideband haptics can reinforce rhythm, impact, direction, and intent, they can support players who rely less on audio cues. For players with hearing impairments, carefully designed haptic patterns can offer another way to understand what is happening in the game. That makes haptic feedback a useful communication layer, not only a sensory enhancement. #### From Handheld Feedback to Full-Body Immersion HD haptics in controllers are powerful, but they are inherently limited to the hands. This leads to a natural next step: how do you make haptics feel environmental rather than localized? This is the direction behind [Razer Sensa HD Haptics](https://www.razer.com/technology/razer-sensa). Instead of treating haptics as a feature locked to one device, Razer Sensa brings wideband tactile feedback into the wider gaming setup: chairs, headsets, controllers, and other peripherals players already use. The result is a multi-directional, full-body 3D haptic environment. Sensations are no longer reduced to a single vibration source. They are distributed around the player. In practical terms, this means players can feel where something happens: left, right, behind, below, or across the body. The effect is similar to how surround sound places audio in space. This is why the idea is sometimes described as “Dolby Atmos for touch.” The key shift is directionality. Feeling an impact behind you or terrain changing beneath you creates a different level of physical presence and emotional response. This approach is especially relevant for action, horror, and racing games. The value is not only stronger feedback. It is more believable feedback. #### Why Synchronizing Haptics, Audio, and Lighting Matters Haptics become even more powerful when they are not working alone. The strongest immersive experiences happen when touch, sound, and light reinforce the same in-game event. Modern multisensory game systems can combine three layers: •**[HD haptics](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/) **for tactile feedback •[spatial audio](https://www.wyvrn.com/thx/) for accurate 3D sound positioning •**[ambient RGB lighting](https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/)**for peripheral visual cues Each layer plays a different role. Haptics provide physical sensation. Spatial audio gives direction and distance. Lighting extends the moment into the player’s peripheral vision. Ambient lighting has also evolved beyond simple reactive effects. It can now form spatial lighting environments, where individual LEDs respond to in-game movement, collisions, explosions, or atmosphere. When used carefully, lighting does not distract from gameplay. It reinforces motion, intensity, and mood around the screen. Spatial audio adds another layer of coherence. It can express height, depth, and direction in ways that align closely with haptic feedback. When audio, haptics, and lighting follow the same spatial logic, the result feels intentional rather than overwhelming. And this is the real challenge of multisensory design. More feedback does not automatically mean better immersion. If every system reacts loudly to every event, the experience becomes noisy. The best systems allow developers to tailor intensity by genre or mode. Players also need control, so they can tune the experience to their own comfort level. Immersion only works when it supports the game instead of competing with it. #### The Next Step: Adaptive Immersion for Gameplay-Aware Feedback The next stage of immersive design is not simply adding more effects. It is making those effects smarter. Today, many haptic and lighting are still authored manually. Developers decide what should happen, when it should happen, and how it should feel. This gives creative control, but it can also be time-consuming and difficult to scale across large games. [Adaptive immersion](https://www.wyvrn.com/adaptive_immersive_experience/)points to a more dynamic model. Instead of relying only on pre-authored effects, adaptive immersive systems can respond to gameplay context in real time. They can interpret what is happening on screen, understand the intensity of the moment, and generate feedback that fits the experience as it unfolds. The result is an experience that feels less scripted. Touch and light become more responsive to the game itself — not just to a fixed set of triggers prepared in advance. #### The Future: Streaming the Touch The next major shift is [haptic streaming.](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/tech/haptic-streaming/) As standardized haptic encoding develops, touch is beginning to move toward the same model as audio and video: a streamable media layer. Instead of treating haptics as local effects stored inside a game or device, tactile signals can be encoded, transmitted, and played back in sync with the rest of the experience. In practical terms, haptic streaming allows touch data to travel alongside audio and video streams. When a compatible device receives the stream, it reconstructs the tactile output and renders it in time with the media signal. This matters because haptics require very little bandwidth compared with video, but can add a significant layer of presence. A live broadcast impact, an explosion in streamed content, or the changing surface of a racing track could all be delivered as part of the media experience, not added separately afterward. #### What This Means for the Next Generation of Games The most interesting consequence is that developers gain new ways to shape player perception without adding more UI, dialogue, or visual noise. A game can now communicate at a different level, speaking directly to the player’s senses. That matters because modern games are already dense with information. The next step is not about adding more effects. It is about helping players understand and experience more with less friction. --- ### From Static Vibes to Moving Sensations: How Spatialized HD Haptics Redefines Immersion URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/from-static-vibes-to-moving-sensations-how-spatialized-hd-haptics-redefines-immersion/ Author: Detjon Brahimaj, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2026-05-11 · Category: Haptic Technology > What makes haptics feel like real movement instead of just vibration? This article explores how spatialized HD haptics creates directional, body-traveling sensations across cushions, chairs, and wearables, turning tactile feedback into a new layer of immersive game feel. Immersion isn’t just what you see or hear, it’s what you feel. Spatialized haptics transforms vibration from a flat buzz into motion that travels across your body, creating a sense of presence no screen can match. One of the most powerful techniques in tactile design is spatialization: making vibrations feel like they move across your body, even though the actuators themselves are fixed. This illusion of motion is what turns simple vibrations into dynamic, directional experiences. Spatialized haptics map tactile energy in space and time so you feel not only that something happened—but where it happened and how it moved. With [Razer Sensa™ HD Haptics](https://www.razer.com/technology/razer-sensa), you get multidirectional control, ultralow latency responsiveness, and harmonized effects across multiple devices, all in sync with audio and visuals. #### What “Spatialized” Means in Practice Spatialization in haptics is the process of creating apparent movement by controlling how and when actuators fire. It refers to shaping where and how feedback is felt: left versus right, high versus low, near versus far, moving or anchored.On a cushion, this can manifest as rising sequences from the seat to the shoulders, arcs wrapping around the torso, or fixed, pinpoint sensations. Unlike audio, which naturally propagates through space, haptics requires deliberate control of actuator timing to create the illusion of motion. By carefully sequencing discrete points of contact, we can trick the brain into perceiving continuous trajectories: left to right, front to back, or even spiraling. These patterns can be auto-generated from sound through audio-to-haptics mapping, while game-specific integrations allow precise, authored experiences. #### How It Works Human perception integrates timing and intensity cues to infer motion. If two actuators fire close enough in time, the brain assumes continuity. This is similar to how audio panning creates the illusion of a sound moving across speakers. In haptics, the effect is tactile and far more visceral. When combined with directional patterns, spatialization transforms static feedback into kinesthetic storytelling. ##### Real-World Examples These effects aren’t just cosmetic, they enhance proprioception, reinforce spatial context and awareness, and increase emotional engagement, making interactions feel physically meaningful. ###### Shooter Games: - Explosion Shockwave: A ripple starting at the spine and expanding outward simulates a blast wave, enhancing urgency and immersion. - Bullet Tracer: A quick diagonal sweep across the chest can mimic a near-miss projectile, improving spatial awareness. ###### Racing Games: - Drift Simulation: A car sliding on gravel can feel like it’s sweeping under your seat by activating actuators from left to right with decreasing intensity, mimicking friction loss. - Acceleration Feedback: A forward surge can be represented by a front-to-back vibration ramp, reinforcing speed and momentum. ###### Flight Simulators: - Turbulence: Randomized spatialized vibrations across the seat create a convincing sense of instability. - Engine Thrust: Continuous low-frequency vibration at the back transitioning forward during takeoff reinforces directional force. ##### The Core Principles There are three main techniques behind convincing haptic motion: **Temporal Sequencing ** Actuators are triggered in rapid succession, with millisecond offsets. For example, to simulate a sweep from your lower back to your shoulders, we fire actuators in ascending order with precise timing. The brain stitches these pulses into a single moving sensation. **Amplitude Shaping ** Intensity isn’t static. By ramping amplitude up or down across the sequence, we mimic acceleration or deceleration. A rising curve feels like something approaching; a tapering curve feels like it’s fading away. **Spectral Content ** Wideband haptics, signals with rich frequency content, add texture and realism. A low-frequency rumble feels heavy and grounded, while adding mid-frequency components can make the motion feel sharper or more energetic. #### Developer Workflow Through the [WYVRN SDK](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/), developers can script spatial effects without reinventing the wheel. Instead of manually timing each actuator, they define paths and curves: “enemy approaching from rear-left” becomes a trajectory mapped to actuators with dynamic envelopes. This abstraction accelerates iteration and ensures consistency across devices like cushions, chairs, and headsets. Curious on how to create spatialized effects? Check out [this blogpost](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution). #### The Future of Haptic Motion We’re exploring AI-driven spatial orchestration, where models learn which patterns feel most natural for different contexts and player profiles. Imagine adaptive sweeps that adjust speed and intensity based on gameplay tension or user sensitivity. The goal isn’t just more vibration, it’s meaningful motion, tuned to narrative and emotion.Want to feel the future of gaming? Explore [Razer Sensa HD Haptics](https://www.razer.com/technology/razer-sensa) and experience motion that moves you. --- ### MPEG Haptics is Here: The "MP3 Moment" for Digital Touch URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/mpeg-haptics-is-here-the-mp3-moment-for-digital-touch/ Author: Detjon Brahimaj, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2026-04-03 · Category: Haptic Technology > Haptics has evolved rapidly, from basic vibrations to rich, high-definition tactile experiences powering games, XR, and beyond. The next step is scale. With the release of MPEG haptics (ISO/IEC 23090-31), touch becomes a true media format: standardized, streamable, and interoperable across devices. #### Haptics as a First-Order Media Type For the last decade, the haptics industry has faced a "Tower of Babel" problem. If a developer wanted to make a user feel a heartbeat in VR, they had to write one code for a game controller, another for a haptic vest, and a third for a glove. The result? Fragmentation. Most developers simply gave up, leaving us with basic, non-immersive buzzes. But as we predicted in our [previous coverage](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-the-future-reference-haptics-standard-according-to-mpeg), the solution was coming. Now, it has arrived. Just as audio and video became standardized and interoperable, haptics, the science of touch, is now poised to join them as a first-order media type. This transformation is being driven by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG), the same organization behind the MP3 and AAC audio formats. At the heart of this revolution is WYVRN, whose encoding architecture has been selected as the foundation for the new MPEG Haptics standard. The MPEG Haptics Standard (ISO/IEC 23090-31) is officially here, and it is doing for touch what the MP3 did for music: creating a universal file that plays everywhere. And this isn't just theory, the Presence Project has already deployed it, proving that the dream of the "Tactile Internet" is now a technical reality. #### The MPEG Haptics Standard: A Technical Breakthrough ##### What is MPEG Haptics? MPEG Haptics is a new standard for the representation, coding, and delivery of haptic data. Published in January 2025 as ISO/IEC 23090-31, it unifies the encoding of both vibrotactile (vibration-based) and kinesthetic (force and motion) data. This means that, for the first time, haptic effects can be stored, transmitted, and rendered alongside audio and video in a standardized way, just like any other media track in an MPEG file. ##### Why Standardization Matters Before MPEG Haptics, the haptics market was fragmented. Each device or platform used its own proprietary format, making it difficult for developers to create cross-platform experiences. The new standard changes this by providing a common language for haptics, enabling interoperability across devices: from smartphones and game controllers to advanced haptic vests, cushions and gloves. ##### Key Features of the Standard - Dual Representation: Supports both descriptive (parametric) and signal-based (PCM) haptic data, allowing for both high-level effects and precise waveform controlmpeg.expert. - Lightweight and Efficient: Haptic tracks can be as small as 8kbps, making them easy to integrate into existing media streams without significant overhead. - Interoperability: Any device implementing the standard can decode and adapt haptic data, ensuring consistent experiences across platforms. - Future-Proof: The standard is designed to evolve, with plans to integrate interactive haptics, avatars, and object-based touch interactions in future phases. #### WYVRN: Leading the Charge WYVRN technology was chosen by MPEG as the reference for the new standard due to its superior perceptual performance and compression efficiency. The company’s encoding architecture enables haptic signals to be stored and delivered with minimal loss of quality, making it ideal for everything from mobile gaming to professional VR training. ##### Tools for Adoption WYVRN provides a suite of tools to help developers and content creators adopt the new standard: - Haptic Composer: Allows creators to design standard-compliant haptic assets. - Haptics SDK: Enables rapid integration of haptics into applications, with support for Unity, Unreal and other platforms. - Reference Software: Open-source implementations are available on GitHub, ensuring transparency and ease of integration. #### Industry Adoption: Presence and the Haptic SDK One of the most exciting examples of MPEG Haptics in action is Presence’s adoption of the standard in their Haptic SDK[[Why Haptics Standards Matter — And How PRESENCE Is Making Them Real – XR Presence Project]](https://presence-xr.eu/why-haptics-standards-matter-and-how-presence-is-making-them-real/). Presence is a project dedicated to revolutionizing human interactions in virtual environments by enhancing the concept of presence in eXtended Reality (XR) experiences through innovative technologies and interdisciplinary research. Presence has integrated MPEG Haptics into their development tools, allowing creators to build haptics-enabled applications that work seamlessly across a wide range of devices. Presence faced a massive integration challenge. They needed to create a single XR environment that supported three radically different devices: Haptic Gloves (Nova 2 from SenseGlove), Haptic Vest, controllers and the Razer Freyja Haptic Cushion. The "Presence" Implementation: Instead of building three separate integrations, Presence adopted the MPEG .hjif format as the universal language. In their architecture, the content engine sends a single standard MPEG signal. The Presence Haptics SDK then acts as a dynamic transcoder. It intercepts the MPEG signal and performs a real-time "handshake" with the connected hardware using the standard's Device Interface Layer: - If the user wears a haptic vest, the SDK maps the signal’s spatial data to the vest's actuators (20+ in this case). - If the user holds a SenseGlove, the SDK extracts the Kinesthetic perception layer from the same file to apply resistance to the fingers. - If the user uses Razer Freyja, Razer Kraken V4 Pro, Razer Wolverine V3 Pro or Meta Quest controllers, the SDK renders the signal as HD haptics vibration. This is the first real-world confirmation that ISO/IEC 23090-31 functions as a "write once, feel everywhere" solution. This move is significant for several reasons: - Cross-Platform Compatibility: Developers can now create haptic experiences that work on any device supporting the MPEG standard, from smartphones to high-end VR systems. - Streamlined Development: The SDK abstracts much of the complexity, enabling creators to focus on designing compelling tactile experiences rather than worrying about compatibility. - Future-Ready: By adopting the standard early, Presence is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of immersive media. #### The Road Ahead: What’s Next for MPEG Haptics? The publication of ISO/IEC 23090-31 is just the beginning. MPEG is already working on the next phase, which will include: - Interactive Haptics: Enabling real-time, two-way tactile interactions, such as those needed for teleoperation and advanced XR applications. - Object-Based Haptics: Allowing for the creation of haptic objects and scenes, where users can feel and interact with virtual objects in a more natural way. - Integration with Other Standards: Ensuring haptics work seamlessly with MPEG-I immersive audio, video, and 3D graphics standards. #### Why This Matters for Everyone For end users, the impact of MPEG Haptics will be profound. Imagine: - Gaming: Feeling the recoil of a virtual gun, the texture of a virtual surface, or the impact of a collision: all with the same fidelity as visual and audio effects. - Virtual Reality: Training simulations that not only look and sound real but also feel real, enhancing learning and retention. - Accessibility: New ways for people with visual or auditory impairments to interact with digital content through touch. - Remote Collaboration: The ability to “feel” objects or gestures in virtual meetings, making remote work more immersive and effective. #### Conclusion: A New Era of Sensory Media The standardization of haptics by MPEG, with Wyvrn at its core, marks a turning point in how we experience digital content. By elevating haptics to the same status as audio and video, MPEG is enabling a new era of sensory-rich, immersive media. Companies like Presence are already leading the way, demonstrating the practical benefits of the standard and paving the path for widespread adoption. As the ecosystem grows, we can expect to see haptics become as ubiquitous as sound and vision in our digital lives. The future of media is not just something we see and hear, it’s something we can feel. ##### Useful links MPEG Haptics Reference software: GitHub - [MPEGGroup/HapticReferenceSoftware](https://github.com/MPEGGroup/HapticReferenceSoftware)MPEG Haptics publication: [Adding Touch to Immersive Media: An Overview of the MPEG Haptics Coding Standard](https://hal.science/hal-05128660/file/Adding_Touch_to_Immersive_Media_An_Overview_of_the_MPEG_Haptics_Coding_Standard.pdf) MPEG 140: [MPEG-I Part 31 — Haptics Coding](https://mpeg.expert/haptics-coding/) --- ### Designing Realistic Haptics: The Power of Frequency in Battlefield 6 URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/ Author: Vasguen Vardanian, Immersive Experience Designer · Published: 2026-03-10 · Category: Effects Design > In this deep dive, we explore how haptic frequency design transforms gameplay in Battlefield 6. From the subtle vibration of a jet engine to the sharp impact of gunfire and the disorienting blast of a flash grenade, frequency becomes a powerful tool for shaping physical sensations in games. Discover how designers use frequency ranges, hardware constraints, and layered effects to create immersive, believable haptic experiences. Today we’re diving into Battlefield 6 and exploring how frequency can dramatically change the feel of a haptic effect when used with the right design intention. If terms like haptic effect, design intention, or frequency are still new, we recommend checking out the previous [Marvel Rivals article](https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution), where we covered the basics of haptic design principles and Chroma effects. In Marvel, we looked at how a handful of parameters can create strong, expressive impact effects that complement each character’s colorful abilities. For Battlefield 6, the approach to haptic effects design is different: with the same parameters (amplitude, frequency, transient), the goal is realism — effects that feel subtle, grounded, and physically believable. And the key to achieving this is frequency control. In this article, we’ll look at a few examples and see: - How does frequency shape the feel of a haptic effect? - How should haptic frequency be adapted to different hardware? - How to design realistic haptics for vehicles, weapons, and explosions? - How do different frequency ranges affect immersion? Before we dive in, it’s best to start with a quick refresher on what frequency actually is. Frequency allows us to control the “pitch” of an effect: the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch; the lower the frequency, the deeper the pitch. At first glance, this seems simple enough. However, there are certain specifics related to frequency that need to be considered to ensure the design is as effective as possible. First of all, designing haptics for real games means considering something many forget: each device has its own supported frequency range. For example, at Razer, we have several haptic devices: [Razer Frejya](https://www.razer.com/gaming-chairs-accessories/razer-freyja), with a frequency range between 25 and 200 Hz; the [Razer Wolverine V3 Pro](https://www.razer.com/console-controllers/razer-wolverine-v3-pro), with a frequency range between 40 and 300 Hz; and finally, the device where managing the frequency range is most critical—the [Razer Kraken V4 Pro](https://www.razer.com/gaming-headsets/razer-kraken-v4-pro) which has a range between 15 and 65 Hz. Why is this important? The reason is simple: sound is also a vibration. If your haptic frequency exceeds what the hardware can cleanly reproduce, the player hears the effect — and that’s not always pleasing or desirable. This is one of many fundamentals every haptic designer needs to factor into their workflow. With that in mind, let’s explore in-game examples, starting with vehicles. #### Aircraft Engine Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1773158039089-663664977.mp4 Let’s start with the Planes. The idea here is to simulate the movement of a running engine while also creating the impression of floating through the air. To achieve this, we use amplitude to simulate the engine rumble. First, the frequency sits in a very low range, between 30 and 50 Hz, which produces a gentle background vibration commonly associated with vehicles — that “present but not overwhelming” feeling. On top of that, the frequency will have slight variations between each point, creating a barely perceptible change that gives the effect even more depth. Finally, the overall frequency shape decreases slightly and then rises again. Combined with the game’s animation and sound design, this creates the feeling of being in an airborne vehicle with minimal friction. In this case, the slight frequency variation gives the effect more realism and makes it feel like a gradual rise-and-fall rumble, simulating the floating sensation. #### Tank Movement Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513504853-463652048.mp4 For land vehicles like tanks, the approach is slightly different from aerial vehicles. Tanks are heavy machines that react strongly to terrain, and the haptic effects must convey this. Amplitude variations are much more pronounced, reflecting how the vehicle shakes under its own weight. And while the frequency follows the same principle as the plane effect, remaining in the range between 30 and 50 Hz, it will also include much more pronounced peaks to simulate the irregular, forceful behavior of a tank engine. Here, the frequency helps reinforce the variation aspect, which is essential to the realism of this effect. However, this demonstrates only a small part of what can be done with frequency, and for the next effect, we might want to use it in a completely different way. While for vehicles it helped us introduce subtle variations influenced by the environment, frequency can also serve as a clear indicator of power—especially for weapons, where the “feeling” of each shot often depends on how sharp, heavy or aggressive the vibration is. #### Assault Rifle Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513516027-156484987.mp4 In assault rifle effects, we notice a particular nuance, which tends to be redundant for other effects. Because these effects require higher frequencies to feel sharp and impactful, we design two versions of the same effect. One version can reach up to 200 Hz for the Razer Frejya and Wolverine V3 Pro. The other version stays below 50 Hz for the Kraken V4 Pro, thereby avoiding the risk of hearing the vibration in the headset. Most weapon effects follow a familiar structure: an initial impact that is more or less strong depending on the weapon, followed by a decreasing amplitude to create an aftershock impression. Of course, the exact timing of the impact and the aftershock will vary depending on the weapon. But as a rule, at the beginning, we have a transient with high amplitude and frequency, then after a short time, both amplitude and frequency decrease —regardless of the frequency range. So why do we aim for effects with higher frequencies? The reason is simple: higher frequencies help make the vibration feel sharper and more aggressive, which aligns perfectly with the behavior of an assault rifle. However, each weapon has its own identity. While an assault rifle benefits from a relatively high frequency that stays within a moderate range, some weapons need to fall into much lower frequency ranges. #### LMG Recoil Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513528269-894179845.mp4 For LMGs, the intention is to create a feeling of heaviness with each bullet. The weapon itself is heavy, and that weight must be felt. For this reason, the initial impact is longer, and the frequency is lower, around 65 Hz. The frequency also doesn’t drop as sharply, which makes each shot feel heavier and more powerful. The principle remains the same as for assault rifles but adapted to represent a much bulkier weapon. #### SMG Fire Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513535573-890095985.mp4 For SMGs, we’re dealing with a very light weapon capable of firing many rounds in rapid succession. The initial impact of each bullet will therefore be faster, and most importantly, the frequency will be much higher—significantly higher than that of an assault rifle. Here, we push the frequency to the maximum possible to make each shot feel quick and sharp. Even though the principle is the same—transient followed by a decrease—this version feels much more reactive and light. At this point, we’ve talked about straightforward uses of frequency. But we can go further and play with frequency behaviour to create more dramatic or unusual sensations. #### Explosion Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513546133-896864266.mp4 With the frag grenade, we want to simulate an explosion. To achieve this, we’ll use some familiar elements: maximum amplitude and several strong transients to give the effect power and impact. However, there’s also a slightly unusual element—a second melody. When we look at the two notes that make up the effect and compare them, we can observe a very particular behavior. The two notes have drastically different frequencies, yet they are played at the same time. Setting up the effects this way produces a unique sensation: a sudden frequency change creates an additional impact that feels very different from the regular transients. This creates extra chaos, exactly what we want for an explosion. Of course, just like in all previous cases, we create the same effect again but adapted to different frequency ranges for the headset. Otherwise, there is a risk of hearing the vibration. That being said, depending on the design intention, the fact that the vibration is audible could also become a deliberate choice. #### Flash Grenade Haptics Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/designing-realistic-haptics-the-power-of-frequency-in-battlefield-6/1774513556233-306036266.mp4 For the flash grenade, the intention is to create disorientation. When a flash grenade hits you in the game, the screen becomes white, and you hear a very high-pitched tone that indicates disorientation. It’s not pleasant, but it serves the gameplay. The same principle applies to haptics: we push the frequency to the highest possible range to create that same uncomfortable, high-pitched physical sensation that complements the sound and visuals. #### The Power of Frequency As we’ve seen, frequency plays a major role in haptic design. We use it to create variation, to control intensity, to define realism, and even to reinforce the extravagance or chaos of certain effects. Frequency is one of the primary tools in designing haptic behaviour, and it allows us to produce hundreds of different sensations. It is an incredible design resource that opens up a vast field of possibilities we have only begun to explore, and we look forward to diving deeper into these behaviours in future games. To add Chroma and haptic effects to your game, start by getting the [Haptics](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/download/)and [Chroma](https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/download/)tools and follow the [WYVRN docs](https://doc.wyvrn.com/) for integration guidance. --- ### Adaptive Immersive Experience: Context-Aware Haptics in a Multisensory Effects Engine URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/adaptive-immersive-experience-context-aware-haptics-in-a-multisensory-effects-engine-/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-03-05 · Category: Adaptive Immersion > Modern games are too complex for purely event-driven effects. Adaptive Immersive Experience introduces an AI-driven runtime layer that interprets gameplay context and dynamically regulates sensory feedback in real time—unlocking scalable, coherent immersion for the next generation of game worlds. #### AI-Driven Haptics for Scalable Game Development Today, haptic feedback in games is most commonly implemented as a reactive layer: designers author specific effects that are triggered by predefined gameplay events. This approach is — and will remain — foundational. Carefully authored haptic moments deliver clarity, impact, and emotional weight within the core gameplay loop. But, as games become more complex, open-ended, and continuously updated, modern game architectures can benefit from an additional adaptive runtime layer that works alongside authored design. This AI-driven layer runs continuously in the background, regulating immersion at scale while preserving the priority and intentionality of human-crafted effects. At Razer, this architectural evolution takes the form of Adaptive Immersive Experience: a context-aware, AI-informed system that dynamically regulates haptics in real time to support scalability, perceptual balance, and multimodal coherence. #### Why Event-Driven Haptics Don’t Scale Well in Modern Games But first, why haptics? Haptics play a critical role in player situational awareness. Vibration and force feedback communicate impact, interaction, and even emotional tone. With the introduction of wideband haptics peripherals, the expressive range has expanded far beyond traditional ERM rumble motors. At Razer, we introduced Razer Sensa HD Haptics across headphones, controllers, chairs, and chair mats. In 2025 alone, full-body haptics were designed for more than 100 games, including Battlefield 6, Borderlands 4, Dune Awakening, and Marvel Rivals. Across these collaborations, thousands of effects were co-authored in partnership with studios. This first-hand experience revealed a structural pattern: production pipelines largely treat haptics as reactive outputs — effects triggered by predefined events. But as games grow more systemic and continuously updated, this model shows clear limits. In open-world combat scenarios, overlapping gameplay events generate competing tactile outputs. Designers must manually resolve priority conflicts to avoid sensory saturation or the loss of meaningful cues. RPGs and narrative-heavy titles present another challenge. Dozens of hours of cinematic content make comprehensive manual haptic authoring difficult to justify economically. And in live-service games with seasonal updates, each season introduces new weapons, abilities, enemies, and audio layers, all of which require manual haptic authoring or retuning. Over time, this increases maintenance overhead and what can be described as accumulated “haptic technical debt.” Studios clearly value haptics in the core gameplay loop. But investment rarely scales across all content layers, resulting in uneven tactile language across expanding systems. What we are witnessing is not a tooling limitation, but a growing need to rethink how haptics are structured within modern game architectures. #### Adaptive Haptics: A Context-Aware Runtime Layer The answer is not more manual authoring — it is an additional layer of dynamically generated, context-aware immersion. Adaptive Immersive Experience introduces a runtime layer that continuously interprets gameplay context and regulates sensory output accordingly. It restructures how haptics — and other sensory channels such as ambient lighting — function within the game system. It is important to note, that authored effects remain central to the experience. The adaptive layer acts as a contextual regulator, managing salience, continuity, and perceptual balance across dynamic environments. Under this model, haptics experiences are not only triggered dynamically, but also intelligently regulated. AI-driven gameplay analysis determines when feedback should be amplified, attenuated, layered, or suppressed based on context. This keeps immersion expressive without becoming overwhelming, and consistent without feeling rigid or scripted. With that, core gameplay moments retain higher perceptual and rendering priority. The adaptive layer maintains environmental immersion and creates perceptual space for those moments to take center stage. For example, during high-density action, background signals can recede to preserve clarity and gradually re-emerge after the intensity subsides. This becomes especially relevant in live-service environments, where immersion scales with interpreted meaning rather than raw content volume. New seasonal elements can integrate into existing semantic categories and regulatory logic without exhaustive re-authoring. #### AI Audio-to-Haptics: Moving from Signal to Meaning One practical implementation model is AI-driven Audio-to-Haptics. Rather than mapping raw audio signals such as amplitude directly to vibration, an AI model can classify complex audio categories in real time — speech, music, environmental ambience, action sounds, and more. This shifts audio-driven haptics from frequency- or volume-based mapping to semantic interpretation. Only meaningful sound classes are translated into tactile feedback, improving coherence and reducing perceptual noise. #### Multimodal Immersion Coordination Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/adaptive-immersive-experience-ai-driven-context-aware-haptics-in-games-/1772727708699-251137797.mp4 Adaptive Immersive Experience also emphasizes coordination across modalities. Haptics, audio, and visual feedback should reinforce one another rather than compete. AI-driven systems are well-suited to managing this balance dynamically, adjusting sensory emphasis based on situational demands and gameplay context. Ambient lighting, for example, can evolve from a purely reactive effect into an intelligent, context-aware immersion layer. By combining real-time responses to visual gameplay signals— as well as visual and audio driven semantic cues— with designer-authored lighting effects, lighting can operate within the same adaptive logic as haptics. #### Latency and Real-Time Constraints Any dynamically adaptive system must address latency. A purely context-aware layer that simply triggers a library of authored effects cannot meet the strict latency requirements of interactive entertainment. Semantic recognition systems often perform better when analyzing longer segments of content. This works well for buffered media such as streaming audio or video, where timing constraints are more flexible. Interactive experiences, however, demand tight synchronization and immediate responsiveness. They have no predefined duration and no fully predictable output. In these circumstances, the system cannot rely on advance knowledge of what will occur. This makes low-latency, real-time adaptation a significant technical challenge — one that can be addressed through the gradual evolution of adaptive immersion, particularly when grounded in prioritized core-loop effects. #### Creative Ownership and Designer Control Introducing an intelligent immersion layer also naturally raises questions about creative ownership. It is important to note that the creative process for integrating haptics varies widely across studios. At Razer, we often use a hybrid model where our Haptics Designers collaborate directly with game teams to co-create the experience. Some studios outsource haptic design entirely, while others treat it as a core experiential layer and retain full creative control. This has important implications for user control over the final experience. Adjusting the overall intensity of haptic feedback is an accepted and well-understood form of user control, However, altering the semantic relationship between gameplay content and haptic response can be seen as altering the designer’s original intent. A practical solution to these concerns is a user-controllable semantic system in which studios can define boundaries, and, if desired, opt out of certain adaptive behaviors to preserve global creative intent. #### Toward Scalable, Context-Aware Immersion What becomes clear is that as interactive systems become more complex and personalized, haptics must evolve beyond isolated, reactive effects. By structuring haptics as part of a context-aware, adaptive system, developers can build can unlock richer, more scalable, coherent, and human-centered immersive experiences. Adaptive Immersive Experience represents a step forward in aligning AI, haptics, and multimodal interaction within modern game architecture. ** In the next article, we will dive into how adaptive lighting—powered by Razer Chroma—fits into the Adaptive Immersive Experience, extending context-aware immersion beyond haptics.** --- ### Haptic Streaming: The Rise of Touch as a Streamable Medium URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic_streaming_the_rise_of_touch_as_a_streamable_medium/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-02-26 · Category: Haptic Technology > Touch is the last missing sense in digital media. While audio and video stream effortlessly across platforms, haptics remains locked inside local devices and proprietary systems. This article explores why touch is technically more complex than sound and visuals, what’s preventing it from scaling, and how emerging standards like MPEG-I are transforming haptics into a truly streamable medium—opening the door to synchronized, networked, multisensory experiences. #### Why Haptics Matter: What Touch Adds Beyond Audio and Video Touch is how humans instinctively understand the world—by pressing, sensing resistance, and receiving confirmation without needing to look or listen. It can reassure, signal success, or communicate danger instantly. In digital environments, haptics restores this fundamental feedback loop, adding presence without distraction or explanation. Where sound and visuals inform, touch confirms, turning digital interactions from something we observe into something we physically feel. #### The Evolution of Haptics: From Notification Buzzes to Expressive Touch For years, haptics was treated as a utility: a buzz to notify, not a medium to design. That changed when developers began shaping touch as part of the experience, using timing, frequency, intensity, and texture to convey intent, interaction, and even emotion. Advances in actuators, authoring tools, and early standardization efforts turned haptics into an expressive design layer rather than an afterthought. Today, high-quality tactile experiences are possible across many interactive systems—but they are mostly built for runtime execution, not distribution. The next step is no longer about expressiveness. It’s about making touch portable. #### Why Haptics Is Technically More Complex Than Audio and Video But touch is inherently more complex than audio or video. Sound can be reduced to pressure waves, and video to light captured in frames; both can be encoded in consistent, well-understood formats. Touch, however, combines multiple physical and perceptual dimensions at once: vibration, force, texture, motion, and proprioception. It engages different receptors across the body, each with unique sensitivity and response. Perception also varies by location: fingertips, for example, can detect micro-vibrations, while other areas barely register them. Touch is also bidirectional. The user pushes, changes force and alters the feedback loop in real time. This means haptic rendering is not passive playback — it is dynamic interaction. Hardware diversity adds another layer of complexity. Devices range from simple vibration motors to multi-actuator gloves and immersive systems, each with distinct mechanical capabilities. Delivering consistent tactile intent across such variation is a multisensory and physically constrained challenge. And because touch must line up with what you see and hear, even small timing errors can break immersion. Precision isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. #### How Haptics is Implemented in Modern Games Today In games, haptics is usually authored as predefined effects triggered by events and mapped to specific devices. Done well, this produces refined, tightly synchronized feedback inside a controlled environment. The limitation is structural: these effects are tightly coupled to specific hardware and platform APIs and executed inside the game engine. That makes them excellent for local execution—but difficult to travel across networks, platforms, and hardware without a shared encoding standard. Platforms such as WYVRN are advancing device-agnostic authoring, enabling developers to design touch once and adapt it dynamically across hardware at runtime. And advance solutions, such as Adaptive Immersive Experience, can further augment authored effects with a dynamic context-aware sensory layer operating in real time, keeping immersion perceptually balanced in complex environments. Yet, despite these advances, touch rarely survives the transition to streamed environments. #### The Missing Layer in Modern Streaming Modern streaming infrastructures—whether for gaming, live events, film, or creator platforms— all rely on audio and video delivery pipelines that simply do not account for tactile data. The result is a growing disconnect: experiences become visually and sonically richer, yet physically incomplete. The issue is not a lack of interest in haptics. It’s the absence of a standardized, scalable framework to encode, synchronize, and transmit touch as part of the media stream. Until haptics can travel with the content itself, it remains anchored to local hardware — powerful in isolated contexts, but missing from networked experiences. That’s why the next step is synchronization, distribution, and real-time streaming. #### What Is Haptic Streaming? Haptic streaming is the delivery of touch sensation over the network, in the same way we already deliver sound and visuals: captured, encoded into a portable format, transmitted efficiently and rendered consistently across devices. Instead of relying on custom firmware, device-specific formats, or proprietary pipelines, haptic streaming treat touch as a first-class media type that can be distributed using standard channels like web players, apps or cloud platforms. To stream haptics, we start by capturing tactile data from physical interactions, authoring tools such as the Haptic Composer, or game events. This tactile data is encoded into a compact, device-agnostic format (not raw actuator commands!). The encoded stream is then transmitted alongside audio and video using conventional protocols and later reconstructed on the user’s device by a haptic engine that converts high-level intent into actuator-specific output, adapted to each device’s capabilities. The goal is that haptics should not require special drivers, custom SDKs, or parallel file formats. Instead, it should flow seamlessly using the same delivery mechanisms as any other media asset. This is crucial for adoption: creators publish once, platforms integrate once, and every compliant device can render the experience. That removes the friction that has historically fragmented the ecosystem. For haptic streaming to scale in real-world distribution, three constraints become critical: low latency, precise synchronization, and signal fidelity. If timing slips, immersion instantly breaks. If encoding is poor, the haptics quality degrades. And without scalability, touch can’t become as universal as sound and visuals. #### Why MPEG Matters for Haptic Streaming For haptics to scale beyond isolated hardware ecosystems, it needs what audio and video have relied on for decades: a shared, device-agnostic language. That is the role of MPEG-I Part 31 (ISO/IEC 23090-31) — the international standard defining how haptic data is represented, encoded, and understood across platforms. MPEG introduces a structured and interoperable framework for tactile media. The standard supports both descriptive (parametric) effects — high-level tactile events defined in JSON — and PCM-based inputs representing time-sampled vibration or force waveforms. These can be expressed in HJIF (Haptic JSON Interchange Format), a human-readable representation, or MIHS (MPEG-I Haptic Stream), a binary packetized format optimized for transport. Just as importantly, MPEG defines how haptic signals can be synchronized precisely with audio and visual streams, ensuring that touch becomes a native part of delivery rather than an add-on. WYVRN, alongside InterDigital and academic partners, has actively contributed to the development of this framework. We developed a one-way transcoder that converts our native HD Haptic format (.haps) into MPEG-compatible representations, enabling interoperability between authored effects and the emerging standardized pipeline. Our next step is enabling Haptic Composer to export MPEG-compatible files natively, embedding standard compliance directly into the creative workflow. This matters as devices and platforms continue to evolve. A controller, glove, wearable, XR headset, or automotive surface can receive the same encoded stream and interpret it according to its actuator capabilities. Content can be authored once and remain adaptable as new hardware categories, streaming models, and immersive platforms emerge. By providing a globally governed standard, MPEG reduces vendor lock-in, protects long-term content investment, and ensures that haptic experiences remain compatible across expanding ecosystems. Haptic streaming cannot scale without this layer of interoperability. MPEG doesn’t just optimize delivery—it makes touch durable and capable of evolving as a streamable media format. #### Challenges Ahead for Haptic Streaming Significant work remains. Technical challenges: - Ultralow latency: Touch requires <20–30 ms to sync with audio/visuals; network jitter quickly breaks realism. - Expressive, efficient codecs: We need standardized, high-fidelity formats that compress well and work across devices—this is why MPEG adoption matters. - Reliable multisensory sync: Even tiny intensity mismatches between touch, sound, and visuals feel wrong. Ecosystem challenges: - Fragmented hardware: No common baseline—phones, controllers, gloves, suits all differ dramatically. - Lack of standards adoption: No universal haptics codec, API, or consistent terminology across platforms. - Weak creation tools: Content authors lack intuitive editors, preview systems, and debugging tools —plus native export to standard formats (hmpeg, hjif). - Limited consumer adoption: Advanced haptic devices aren’t widely available or affordable, limiting content incentives. - Missing platform integration: OS-level, browser-level, and engine-level support is inconsistent or absent. None of these challenges, however, are fundamental problems, but addressable engineering and ecosystem coordination issues that will mature through continued standardization and alignment—just as audio and video once did. #### The Haptics Excellence Center Vision: Building the Infrastructure for Scale This is why a dedicated Haptics Excellence Center is needed now: to remove the structural barriers that keep haptics fragmented, local, and device-bound. By focusing first on standardized encoding, synchronization, and streaming of haptic data alongside audio and video, the Center targets the problems that block adoption across platforms and ecosystems. Its role is uniquely cross-cutting, bridging research, standards, and real-world implementation. At scale, this would allow platforms to distribute video, audio, and haptics together. A live gaming stream could deliver synchronized tactile feedback to viewers. Game publishers could release multisensory trailers that audiences can physically feel. Device makers could immediately access a broad ecosystem of compatible content without bespoke integrations. And this is only the start. In that future, touch is no longer an enhancement layered on top of digital media. It becomes a native component of how all content is delivered and experienced. --- ### Beyond Pixels: How the WYVRN Ecosystem Orchestrates Total Sensory Immersion URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/beyond-pixels-how-the-wyvrn-ecosystem-orchestrates-total-sensory-immersion/ Author: Detjon Brahimaj, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2026-02-12 · Category: WYVRN Ecosystem > Graphics alone can’t make games feel real. The WYVRN Immersive Ecosystem synchronizes Sensa HD Haptics, THX Spatial Audio+, and Chroma RGB into one cohesive sensory layer—so every explosion, footstep, and shockwave is heard, seen, and felt in perfect lockstep. Gaming immersion has long been a tug-of-war between graphical fidelity and visceral feeling. We have pushed frames, pixel density, and ray-traced reflections to their absolute limits, yet there is a threshold where better graphics stop making the experience feel more "real." The missing link isn't better-looking pixels; it is multisensory coherence. True immersion happens when touch, sound, and light reinforce a single in-game event simultaneously. This is the philosophy behind the WYVRN Immersive Ecosystem, a synchronized fusion of Sensa HD Haptics, THX Spatial Audio+, and Chroma RGB. It transforms gaming from something you watch into an orchestrated moment you can hear, see, and feel in your body. #### The Trinity of Immersion The WYVRN Ecosystem doesn't just run three technologies in parallel; it forces them to speak the same language. 1. Sensa HD Haptics: Wideband, low-latency and spatial tactile feedback. 2. THX Spatial Audio+: 3D auditory spatial positioning. 3. Chroma RGB: Ambient lighting visual synchronization. When a footfall moves from the rear-left to the front-right of your character, it isn't just a sound effect. With WYVRN, Sensa mirrors that motion with a distinct tactile arc across actuators, while Chroma RGB aligns color and intensity to the same timeline. This cross-modal reinforcement makes gameplay events easier to perceive and significantly more emotionally resonant. #### Sensa HD Haptics: The Backbone of "Feeling" At the core of this ecosystem is Sensa HD Haptics, a platform designed to move beyond simple static vibrations, replacing the binary on/off state of traditional rumble with a high-fidelity, wideband signal. By utilizing a broader frequency range, the platform delivers directional, definition-rich touch that mimics real-world physics rather than just vibrating a controller. The platform’s true power lies in Multi-Device Spatialization (The "Bloom" Effect). Sensa treats connected devices as a single canvas. A distinct haptic event can traverse the user's body—sweeping from the lumbar region of a cushion to the cranial drivers of a headset—mirroring the trajectory of in-game objects. This is achieved with sub-20ms latency. By synchronizing tactile feedback perfectly with the render pipeline, Sensa ensures that visual, auditory, and haptic cues hit the player’s senses simultaneously, eliminating the cognitive dissonance caused by lag. #### THX Spatial Audio+: The Soundstage of Reality Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/beyond-pixels-how-the-wyvrn-ecosystem-orchestrates-total-sensory-immersion/1770980704036-18529324.mp4 THX Spatial Audio+ Plugin brings professional 7.1.4 spatial audio rendering directly into the developer workflow. Integrated with Wwise, it gives audio teams precise control over height channels, virtual speaker layout, and environmental acoustics, enabling accurate object placement and fully spherical sound design within interactive game worlds. The result isn’t just technical fidelity, but perceptual realism: players can intuit room dimensions, judge enemy distance, and understand environmental geometry in real time—tracking movement, anticipating threats, and reacting to off-screen action across a true 360° sound field. #### Chroma RGB: Expanding the Canvas Chroma RGB is no longer just about pretty lights; it is an atmospheric extension of the game engine. With the new Automatic Content-Aware Mapping, AI analyzes on-screen action to project a "3D light canvas" across your entire room, synchronizing not just your peripherals but also compatible smart lights (Govee, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue). This moves lighting from a 2D desktop reaction to a spatial experience where a flashbang doesn't just turn your keyboard white, it floods your peripheral vision with blinding light, perfectly matching the intensity and decay of the in-game event. #### A Unified Workflow for Developers For studios, the goal isn't just spectacle; it’s about a sustainable workflow. Previously, integrating haptics, light, and sound required "spaghetti code" integration that was difficult to maintain. The WYVRN SDK changes this by allowing studios to offload sensory composition. - Tag Events: Developers simply tag in-game events. - External Authoring: RGB animations, spatial cues, and haptic effects are authored and iterated outside the game engine. - Unified Triggering: The boss slam, the shockwave, and the light pulse are triggered via a single interface. This ensures that the audio-visual-tactile loop stays in perfect lockstep without burdening the game's core code. #### Reality Check: Shipping Today This multi-sensory layer isn't theoretical vaporware. It is shipping right now in devices like the Razer Freyja (HD haptic cushion) and Kraken V4 Pro (HD haptic headset). Reviewers are already noting the distinct shift in experience. The sensation of impacts "cascading around" the body—particularly in mech simulations and racing titles—offers a level of presence that standard peripherals simply cannot match. Reviewers have called out the unique feeling of impacts 'cascading around' the body when haptics are harmonized across endpoints — [Tom's Hardware Review](https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/razers-hd-haptic-gaming-cushion-allows-you-to-experience-every-in-game-explosion-for-usd299?utm_source=chatgpt.com) #### The Future: AI-Driven Orchestration Looking forward, we are moving toward AI-driven sensory orchestration. We are exploring models capable of learning player preference, arousal levels, and context to dynamically tune spatial audio and haptic trajectories in real-time. The ultimate goal is to create consistent "presence" without sensory fatigue, bringing the high production values of cinematic sound design into the realm of tactile storytelling. With the WYVRN Immersive Ecosystem, immersion is no longer just a set of features on a box. It’s a cohesive system, and it is here to change how we play. --- ### Haptic Evolution: From Rumble To Immersion URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-evolution-from-rumble-to-immersion-1/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-02-11 · Category: Haptic Technology > In this infographic, we trace the evolution of haptics, from blunt 90s rumble to real-time adaptive streaming. What once signaled simple impact now conveys texture, direction, and presence, positioning touch as the next frontier of immersive media. --- ### The Current State of Game QA: Challenges, Bottlenecks, and Future Needs URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-current-state-of-game-qa-challenges-bottlenecks-and-future-needs-7/ Author: Sergio Schiavo, Technical Account Manager · Published: 2026-01-27 · Category: Game QA > As systems multiply and production accelerate, manual testing alone struggles to scale, leading to QA debt, late performance issues, and lost engineering time. The industry is now shifting toward AI-assisted QA to capture better context, surface issues earlier, and help teams ship with confidence, without replacing human judgment. Game development has never been more ambitious — or more fragile. Modern games are larger, more systemic, more connected, and expected to run flawlessly across an ever-growing matrix of platforms and hardware. Yet despite massive advances in engines, tooling, and production workflows, quality assurance in game development remains a consistently challenging part of the pipeline. This isn’t because QA teams aren’t working hard. It’s because the nature of game QA has fundamentally changed, while most QA tools and processes have not kept pace. #### Modern Game Complexity vs. Traditional QA Processes Today’s games are no longer a collection of isolated levels and mechanics. They are system-driven, content-heavy, and performance-sensitive, often spanning PC, console, and mobile platforms simultaneously. They are built on engines like Unity and Unreal that evolve continuously, alongside proprietary and legacy technology. Each new feature adds exponential interactions. Every optimization risk regression elsewhere. While many studios have evolved their QA practices alongside growing complexity, QA remains deeply rooted in hands-on testing, exploratory play, and team knowledge. As games scale, teams are now looking to augment these workflows to extend coverage and reduce risk without losing the strengths of human-led QA. That mismatch is at the heart of the problem. #### Why Manual Game QA Doesn’t Scale Manual QA is essential, but it does not scale efficiently. For decades, game QA has relied on human intuition, experience, and exploration. Skilled testers are exceptionally good at spotting issues that automated tests will never catch: broken flows, unclear feedback, “this just feels wrong” moments. That human judgment remains irreplaceable. The problem isn’t manual testing itself. The problem is asking manual QA to shoulder problems it was never designed to solve at today’s scale. As games grow more complex, the surface area for bugs expands, making it increasingly challenging to cover through playtesting alone. Each new system introduces additional interactions, and every new build increases the need for systematic regression testing to ensure nothing breaks elsewhere. ##### 1. QA Debt Builds Up in Fast-Moving Game Production As production accelerates, test coverage rarely keeps pace. Teams prioritize validating new features while older systems quietly degrade. Bugs don’t disappear; they get deferred, duplicated, or rediscovered later under pressure. Over time, this creates QA debt: unresolved issues, untested paths, and fragile builds that become increasingly difficult to reason. ##### 2. The Reproducibility Problem in Game QA Many bugs are found once and never reliably reproduced. Test reports often rely on vague descriptions like “happened after 30 minutes of play” or “only on this build, once.” Without precise context, such as inputs, timing, performance state, or system load, engineers spend hours chasing issues that may already be gone. QA becomes a bottleneck not because of volume, but because of ambiguity. ##### 3. Inconsistent Test Coverage in Manual Game Testing Even with strong test plans, coverage still depends heavily on who tested the build, what they focused on, and how much time they had. Two testers can play the same build and surface entirely different issues. Over time, this leads to blind spots, particularly in long-session behavior, edge cases, and gameplay performance testing. Manual coverage alone cannot reliably track FPS drops, CPU spikes, or memory regressions across repeated play sessions. ##### 4. Fragmentation Across QA Tooling and Data Many studios rely on a mix of engine-native tools, internal workflows, and, at times, external QA partners. As teams grow, test results, bug reports, and crash data naturally spread across different tools and formats. Over time, this can make it harder to compare builds, follow regressions, or keep everyone aligned on the state of quality. In that context, a unified QA data layer—one that brings together crash data from engines like Unity or Unreal alongside existing test signals—becomes increasingly valuable as QA scales. ##### 5. Gameplay Performance Issues Are Detected Too Late Frame drops, memory spikes, and stability regressions often surface late in development, after content lock, or worse, during certification. By that point, the cost of fixing them is high, and trade-offs become unavoidable. Performance QA is rarely continuous — it’s reactive. #### The Hidden Cost of Inefficient Game QA: Lost Engineering Time Every unclear bug report, missing reproduction step, or late discovery carries a downstream cost. Engineers lose time asking follow-up questions, attempting to reproduce unclear issues, investigating false positives, and context-switching instead of building features. The result is not just longer QA process, but slower development across the entire studio. #### What Game Studios Need From Modern QA Tools Across teams of all sizes, the same needs keep coming up: - More consistent QA output - Earlier detection of issues - Faster validation of builds - Less noise, fewer duplicates - Better context for engineering - Confidence that a build is “safe enough” to move forward Small QA teams are increasingly expected to deliver the output of much larger studios, without proportional increases in headcount or budget. Something has to change. #### The Shift Toward Automated and AI-Assisted Game QA The industry is already moving toward a new model. Not to replace testers — but to augment them. The future of game QA looks increasingly like: - Assisted workflows - Automated context capture - Continuous analysis during play - Earlier signal, less noise - Tools that scale with complexity This is where AI-assisted QA begins to make sense. Not as a magic solution, but as a way to surface problems sooner, reduce ambiguity, and give both QA and engineering teams better data to work with. #### Enter Razer QA Companion-AI: A Co-pilot for Game QA Razer QA Companion-AI (also known as QA Co-AI) is built around a simple idea: QA tools should adapt to the complexity of modern games. It serves as a companion tool that enhances and supports QA workflow. It automatically captures gameplay context, reduces manual overhead, and ensures QA output is more consistent and actionable. With capabilities like automated crash detection, gameplay bug video capture, and seamless integration with tools such as Jira for game QA bug tracking, it helps teams validate builds faster and with greater confidence. It exists because the challenges described above are no longer edge cases. They are the norm across modern game development. #### What’s Next: Practical QA Workflows for Modern Game Teams Next, we’ll move from observation to execution, focusing on practical QA workflows and processes that help teams manage the complexity of modern games. We’ll examine how AI-assisted and automated game testing, combined with real-time gameplay analysis, can be introduced into everyday production, from early development through late-stage builds, without requiring teams to rethink their entire pipeline. The goal isn’t disruption. It’s understanding where an AI compan for QA meaningfully improves signal, and where human judgment remains essential. That balance is what enables steady improvement: less ambiguity, clearer feedback for engineering, and higher-quality builds that teams can move forward with confidence. Quality is no longer just about finding bugs. It’s about detecting the right gameplay issues, at the right time, with the right context, and turning that insight into action across production workflows. --- ### When RGB Meets Geometry: The Evolution of Chroma into a 3D Collision Engine URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/when-rgb-meets-geometry-the-evolution-of-chroma-into-a-3d-collision-engine-/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2026-01-20 · Category: Chroma > RGB lighting is no longer just eye candy. This article tells the story of how Razer Chroma evolved from simple 2D color effects into a 3D collision-based lighting engine that reacts to in-game geometry in real time. #### When RGB Meets Geometry: The Evolution of Chroma into a 3D Collision Engine For over a decade, Razer Chroma RGB has been the beating heart of immersive lighting in gaming. What started as simple backlighting on peripherals has evolved into one of the world’s largest RGB ecosystems, spanning keyboards, mice, headsets, laptops, PC components, and even smart home integrations. Now, Chroma is taking a bold step forward: moving from 2D lighting zones to a 3D collision-based engine that synchronizes lighting with in-game geometry. This shift transforms RGB from a decorative layer into a fully spatial medium for immersion. #### From Single-Color LEDs to a Global RGB Ecosystem Before 2014, Razer devices featured fixed, single-color lighting — iconic green on products like the Razer Diamondback and Razer DeathAdder. RGB lighting was just emerging in the gaming market, with most implementations limited to basic color zones. That changed in September 2014, when Razer launched Razer Chroma RGB with the BlackWidow Chroma keyboard, DeathAdder Chroma mouse, and Kraken 7.1 Chroma headset, introducing individually addressable LEDs with 16.8 million colors. Through Razer Synapse, players could create custom effects, while developers soon integrated in-game lighting via the Chroma SDK. By 2017, Chroma expanded beyond peripherals with Philips Hue integration and the Chroma Connected Devices program, opening the ecosystem to brands like MSI and Thermaltake. In the 2020s, it pushed into smart home territory, with over 200 supported devices, addressable RGB controllers, and broad third-party adoption, making it one of the largest RGB ecosystems in the world. #### The Limits of 2D The original 2D implementation of Chroma allowed developers to control each peripheral’s LEDs individually, with Chroma Connect offering up to four lighting zones for third-party hardware. This worked well for syncing effects across devices and ambient lights from partners like Govee or Nanoleaf. But the 2D system hit a ceiling. While it could paint color patterns across multiple surfaces, it could not: - Create spatial gradients that flow naturally in three dimensions. - Synchronize lighting with the actual geometry of in-game events. - Deliver nuanced, directional effects that enhance immersion. In short, the 2D canvas was powerful for coordination, but it lacked depth. #### Why Move to 3D? The push for 3D came from both developer ambition and player immersion goals. Developers wanted lighting to feel less like an overlay and more like an extension of the game world. We see clearly within about 120° × 120° of binocular vision, with peripheral awareness extending their total horizontal field up to ~210°, yet a typical 32-inch monitor covers only around 48° × 61°. The rest is peripheral vision, which, while not the focus of our eyes, strongly influences our sense of presence. By using lighting in the periphery to mirror in-game action, Chroma could dramatically enhance immersion. Imagine explosions that ripple through the room, or gradients that match the direction of movement inside the game. This is where the Chroma Collision Engine enters. #### Inside the Chroma RGB Collision Detection Engine At its core, the new engine maps each LED in 3D space and calculates how it interacts with in-game objects. - In the 2D model, LEDs were transformed into local space using the inverse model matrix and sampled from a flat color map. - In the 3D model, LEDs are tested directly against geometry. If an LED lies inside the geometry, its color is sampled from that geometry and assigned in real time. The result: LEDs no longer simply “follow patterns” — they react as if they exist inside the game world itself. #### Architecture and Data Flow To make this possible, the engine follows a clear processing pipeline: **Bounding Volumes:** Each device, space, and geometry has an Axis-Aligned Bounding Box ( AABB ) AABB checks quickly which devices are even relevant for collision tests. ** ** LED Mapping: Every LED is assigned a unique ID tied to a transform matrix (translation, rotation, scale) in a unified 3D world coordinate system ( 1 unit = 1 cm ). This ensures LEDs are placed precisely in virtual space. ** ****Collision Testing:** Supported in-game geometries include cubes, cones, cylinders, pyramids, spheres, and static meshes. Each geometry type uses its own optimized collision interface to determine whether LEDs fall within it. ** ** **Color Sampling:** LEDs within a geometry take on the corresponding sampled color. ** ** **Payload Assembly: **Results are collected into a payload and sent to the Razer Lighting Engine, which updates all connected devices. This system makes the lighting geometrically aware. #### Event Handling and Performance One challenge with real-time lighting is simultaneous events. What happens if two lighting effects overlap? Currently, the system resolves this through a First-In-Last-Out (FILO) principle — the most recent event takes precedence, much like layers in Photoshop. This design keeps performance predictable and consistent. #### Performance Challenges Building a 3D collision engine for lighting is not without hurdles. The journey has involved rethinking core assumptions and pushing optimization at every stage. ** ** Legacy Canvas Bottleneck: The first version used a 3D canvas array to calculate colors. While conceptually simple, it scaled poorly — memory and computational costs grew exponentially as environments expanded. ** ****Canvas Removal and Multi-Space Support: **The canvas was removed, decoupling the engine from fixed spatial constraints. This allowed the system to support multiple independent spaces within one world, improving both flexibility and efficiency. ** ** **Querying Overhead: **As more devices and in-game objects are added, collision checks and lighting queries grow heavier. In densely populated setups, this can become a bottleneck. ** ** **Future Optimizations: **The next step is introducing spatial querying techniques such as kd-trees, quadtrees, or BVH (Bounding Volume Hierarchies). These are widely used in rendering and physics engines to minimize unnecessary checks by narrowing the search space. For smaller setups with only a handful of devices, performance is naturally less of a concern. But scalability remains central: the system has already been stress-tested with 25+ devices and more than 500 LEDs in a CES showcase environment. The long-term vision is even more ambitious — building-wide installations where lighting responds seamlessly across expansive environments. #### Developer Integration Integration is streamlined. Developers don’t need to write collision math — they use familiar engine components like box colliders or mesh colliders. The Chroma Editor also lets developers design and preview lighting effects in the Emulator, which visually represents how collisions and LEDs respond. This workflow keeps the barrier low while giving creators full control over immersive design. #### Hardware and Setup When it comes to hardware, the recommendation is simple: the more LEDs, the better! The richness of gradients and animations scales with the density of emitters. The system works automatically across Razer devices without per-device tuning. The only exception is the Razer Light Strip, which requires users to specify the number of LEDs in Synapse. #### Previewing the Future The 3D Chroma Collision Engine represents a paradigm shift: RGB lighting is no longer just synchronized decoration. It is a spatial medium, responsive to in-game geometry and deeply tied to human perception of immersion. For developers, the system opens new creative opportunities. For players, it transforms the space around the monitor into an extension of the game world. And for Razer, it marks the next chapter in the evolution of Chroma — from single-color LEDs to an ecosystem that blends light, geometry, and gameplay. --- ### Technical Deep Dive for Total Immersion: Integrating THX Spatial Audio+ & WYVRN SDK into "Valley of the Ancient" URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/technical-deep-dive-for-total-immersion-integrating-thx-spatial-audio-plus-wyvrn-sdk-into-valley-of-the-ancient/ Author: Adrian Tamas, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2026-01-15 · Category: Spatial Audio > This deep dive shows how THX Spatial Audio+ turns Valley of the Ancient into a truly three-dimensional soundscape, with real-time reflections, height, and room acoustics instead of simple left-right panning. It breaks down how next-gen audio in Unreal Engine can feel physical, reactive, and cinematic—making sound as immersive as the visuals. #### Introduction: Setting the Stage in the Valley The *Valley of the Ancient* is not just a sample project; it is a manifesto for the future of interactive graphics. Developed by Epic Games to showcase early access features of Unreal Engine 5, it introduced the world to Nanite virtualized geometry and Lumen global illumination. Players control Echo, exploring a photo-realistic arid landscape derived from Quixel Megascans of Moab, Utah. The demo culminates in a transition to a "Dark World"—a fantastical realm where Echo battles the massive Ancient One. However, while Nanite streams billions of polygons to create visual fidelity, the sensory fidelity often lags behind. To match the visual realism of UE5, we need audio that behaves like real sound waves and physical feedback that matches the weight of the world. In this deep dive, we detail the complete integration of two transformative technologies: - 1. THX Spatial Audio+: A Wwise plugin that adds physically modeled early reflections and late reverberation. THX Spatial Audio+ Docs: - [https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/thx/wwise/thx-spatial-audio-plus/](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/thx/wwise/thx-spatial-audio-plus/) - 2. WYVRN SDK: A unified pipeline for Razer Chroma (lighting) and Sensa HD Haptics (tactile feedback). WYVRN SDK (Unreal) Docs: - [https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/) - [https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/unreal-engine/](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/unreal-engine/) This guide serves as a real-world case study, analyzing the specific Blueprints, Configs, and Wwise structures used to bring Echo’s journey to life. #### Part 1: The Audio Architecture | THX Spatial Audio+ ##### The Challenge of 3D Audio In standard game audio, spatialization often just means panning a sound left or right based on the camera angle. But in the real world, you don't just hear direction; you hear space. You hear the sound bouncing off the floor (reflections), the decay of the room (reverb), and the filtering caused by distance. We utilized THX Spatial Audio+ to solve this. It is a spatial audio processing plugin built specifically for Audiokinetic Wwise, designed to simulate these acoustic characteristics with high precision. ##### Step 1: Installation & Middleware Setup Before we even open Unreal Engine, we must configure the audio middleware. The integration relies on the Audiokinetic Launcher to inject the plugin into the Wwise SDK.The THX Spatial Audio+ can be downloaded from[this link.](https://github.com/WyvrnOfficial/THX-Spatial-Audio-Wwise/releases/tag/release) The Installation Process: As shown in the launcher interface, select the specific Wwise version (2024.1.6) and ensure the THX Spatial Audio+ plugin is checked and installed via "Add from directory". ##### Step 2: The Wwise Project Backend The integration maintains a dedicated Wwise project structure alongside the Unreal project files. Navigating to the THXValley_WwiseProject directory reveals the full hierarchy required to support the spatial engine. Bus Configuration (The Critical Step): Inside the Wwise Authoring tool, navigate to the Master-Mixer Hierarchy. We add there an auxiliary audio bus onto the main audio bus to handle spatial processing. - The Plugin: We insert the THXSpatialAudio effect into the bus chain. - Channel Config: This Aux Bus is set to 7.1.4, which forces the Master Audio Bus to also be 7.1.4. THX requires these extra height channels (the ".4") to calculate verticality—allowing you to hear the Ancient One towering above you. Object Positioning: to ensure individual sound effects (SFX) are processed correctly: - Routing: SFX need to be routed through the bus with the plugin under the “Routing” tab. - Positioning: They also require Listener Relative Routing to be enabled in the “Positioning” tab. ##### Step 3: The Frontend (Unreal Engine) The audio engine pipeline for the Valley of the Ancients demo utilizes a hybrid approach where every sound in the demo is sent to Wwise through AudioLink, regardless of if it was a custom addition or part of the original project. The Audio Pipeline: A majority of the audio in the demo was originally implemented via native Unreal features like MetaSounds and Soundscape. We added custom sound effects, such as the circling flying emitter, to better showcase THX Spatial Audio+. - Data Flow: All audio is sent from Unreal MetaSounds through Unreal AudioLink into the Wwise audio engine. - Processing: Wwise takes the audio and positioning data from AudioLink and sends it through THX Spatial Audio+. - Output: That output is then sent to the hardware output. By using AudioLink, we preserved the work of the original creators while saving time by not re-importing assets into Wwise. Asset Integration: Every sound source in Valley of the Ancient is tied to a Sound Attenuation object. These were originally part of the demo, but we repurposed them to send all sound to AudioLink, as seen at the bottom of the details panel. #### Part 2: The Sensory Ecosystem | WYVRN SDK While THX handles the ears, the WYVRN SDK handles the eyes and hands. This SDK is unique because it unifies Razer Chroma (lighting) and Razer Sensa HD Haptics into a single API. Instead of writing separate code for lights and vibrations, we send a single "Event Name," and the external configuration handles the rest. ##### Initialization: The Level Blueprint The integration starts in the Level Blueprint. This is the brain of the map and the perfect place to initialize hardware SDKs. The Initialization Flow: 1. Event BeginPlay: As soon as the level loads, this event fires. 2. Make Wyvrn SDKApp Info Type: We populate the struct with our game's metadata (Title: ValleyOfAncient, Author: Razer). 3. InitSDK: This node handshakes with the Razer Synapse service. 4. Error Handling: We use a Branch node to check the return value. If it returns 0 (Success), we proceed. This prevents performance hitches on unsupported systems. ##### Deep Dive into Configuration (WYVRN.config) The heart of the sensory experience is the config file. Let’s break down the specific strategies we used for *Valley of the Ancient*. ##### Strategy A: Ambient Immersion (Lighting) We used the Start event to set the baseline mood. ```json { "External_Command_ID": "Start", "Chroma_Events": [ { "Chroma_Effect": "Idle_Keyboard", "Idle": "set" }, { "Chroma_Effect": "Idle_Mouse", "Idle": "set" } ] } ``` By setting the Idle property to "set", we ensure that the peripherals default to a specific color scheme whenever no other action is occurring. ##### Strategy B: Directional Locomotion (Stereo Haptics) To ground Echo's movement, we implemented "stereo haptics." We want the player to feel the footsteps on the left side of their body when Echo plants her left foot. In Unreal: We opened Echo's movement animation blueprint and added WYVRN events depending on the speed of the character – walk or jog. - Left Foot Frame: Calls SetEventName("Footstep_Left_Jog"). - Right Foot Frame: Calls SetEventName("Footstep_Right_Jog"). In Config: ```json { "External_Command_ID": "Footstep_Left_Jog", "Haptic_Events": [ { "Haptic_Effect": "FootStep", "Targeting": [ { "Gain": 1, "Spatialization": "Left", "Target": "Leg" } ] } ] } ``` Notice the Spatialization: "Left" and Target: "Leg". This creates a precise localized sensation. The player doesn't just feel a generic vibration; they feel the rhythm of the run traveling across their haptic device (like a haptic chair cushion i.e. Razer Freyja). ##### Strategy C: Modular Abilities (The Drone) When Echo deploys or recovers the Hover Drone, we trigger the Throw_Drone_Sit/Stand events. The config defines a complex multi-layered effect: - Head: 0.7 Gain (Subtle whirring near ears – haptic headphones). - Chest/Leg/Waist: 1.0 Gain (Spatialization down to up). - Mixing: "Merge". ```json { "External_Command_ID": "Throw_Drone_Sit", "Haptic_Events": [ { "Haptic_Effect": "Throw_Drone_Head", "Mixing": "Merge", "Targeting": [{ "Gain": 0.7, "Target": "Head" }] }, { "Haptic_Effect": "Throw_Drone_Chest", "Mixing": "Merge", "Targeting": [{ "Gain": 1, "Target": "Chest" }] } ] } ``` This layering simulates the mechanical object detaching from the character's back and flying upwards. ##### Strategy D: High-Priority Combat (The Ancient One) When the Ancient One attacks, subtlety goes out the window. We need to ensure the player feels the danger immediately. In Unreal: Trigger SetEventName("Boss_Attack"). In Config: We utilize the Priority flag. ```json { "External_Command_ID": "Boss_Attack", "Chroma_Events": [ { "Chroma_Effect": "Boss_Attack_Keyboard", "Animation": "Boss_Attack", "Priority": "VeryHigh" } ], "Haptic_Events": [ { "Haptic_Effect": "Boss_Attack", "Mixing": "Merge", "Targeting": [{ "Gain": 1, "Target": "All" }] } ] } ``` By setting the Priority to VeryHigh, the lighting system will instantly interrupt the ambient orange glow to flash a warning, and the haptics will override walking vibrations with a global rumble (Target: "All"). #### Part 3: Practical Integration Tips ##### Packaging with data.bin A crucial detail for developers is packaging. The THX plugin requires a data.bin file to be present in the final build folder. In a build, data.bin must be present in the following directory (relative to the executable): - THXValley/Plugins/WwiseSoundEngine/ThirdParty/x64_vc170/Release/bin ##### Debugging Haptics If Chroma/haptics aren't triggering: 1. Check the InitSDK return value in the Level Blueprint. It must be 0. 2. Verify the "Event Name" string in Unreal matches the config's External_Command_ID. 3. 3. A debugger for the WYVRN events can be downloaded here: https://github.com/WyvrnOfficial/RazerSensa_DevKit ##### Fixing Ancient Dead State Sometimes, when entering the Ancient’s Arena, the Ancient will go into the dead state immediately after the cinematics. To fix this bug, add a delay after the “Start Ancient One Intro Sequence” within the Blueprint BP_ScriptEvent. If that doesn’t work, ensure that the AncientOne_Body_CtrlRig is set to “When Finished: Keep State” in the SEQ_Robot_Intro animation sequence: #### Conclusion: The Future of Immersion The Valley of the Ancient proved that game engines could render billions of polygons in real-time. With this integration, we have proven that we can render polygons for the senses.By combining the THX Spatial Audio+ plugin, which treats sound as 3D geometry, with the WYVRN SDK, which treats haptics and light as gameplay data, we have created an experience that transcends the screen. When Echo walks, you feel it. When the Ancient One sends his colored beam, the room reverberates and your desk flashes orange hues. ##### Reference Links & Documentation For developers looking to replicate this setup, please refer to the official documentation: [THX Spatial Audio+ Docs](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/thx/wwise/thx-spatial-audio-plus/)[WYVRN SDK (Unreal) Docs](https://doc.wyvrn.com/docs/wyvrn-sdk/unreal-engine/) [Unreal Engine Valley of the Ancient Docs](https://dev.epicgames.com/documentation/en-us/unreal-engine/valley-of-the-ancient-sample-game-for-unreal-engine) *THX, THX Spatial Audio, and the THX Logo are the property of THX Ltd., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.* --- ### Interhaptics X Hamsø Engineering: Advancing HD Haptics Across Gaming, Automotive, and Medical Industries URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-x-hamso-engineering-advancing-hd-haptics-across-gaming-automotive-and-medical-industries/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2025-10-20 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics and Hamsø Engineering have formed a strategic partnership to enhance haptic technology across multiple sectors, including gaming, automotive, and medical. #### Interhaptics X Hamsø Engineering: Advancing HD Haptics Across Gaming, Automotive, and Medical Industries Interhaptics, a subsidiary of leading global lifestyle brand for gamers Razer Inc., and Hamsø Engineering, a Danish design house specializing in haptic systems, HMI development, and custom engineering, are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to accelerate innovation in haptic technology. This collaboration integrates the Interhaptics Platform — which powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics — with Hamsø’s full service engineering capabilities to deliver high-performance haptic solutions across gaming, automotive, medical, and industrial applications. #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, is a leading HD Haptic software provider. Founded in 2017 in France, Interhaptics equips developers with intuitive tools for designing wideband haptics across PC, Console, Mobile, and XR platforms. The company has played a pivotal role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to lead the development of future standards. Now part of WYVRN, Razer’s advanced technology brand, Interhaptics powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics peripherals, delivering immersive tactile experiences that redefine digital interaction. Operating as an independent entity within Razer, Interhaptics remains committed to simplifying haptic integration and maximizing device capabilities, enabling creators to craft compelling, high-fidelity digital experience. #### About Hamsø Engineering Hamsø Engineering, based in Sønderborg, Denmark, is a full-service engineering firm specializing in haptic feedback systems, human-machine interface (HMI) design, and custom R&D solutions. With expertise in tactile measurement, embedded software, and advanced prototyping, Hamsø supports clients across automotive, medical, gaming, and industrial sectors. Their product portfolio includes the ArFi haptic measurement systems and a range of services from consulting and training to rapid prototyping and PCB development. Driven by curiosity and innovation, Hamsø Engineering transforms complex challenges into intuitive, high-performance solutions that enhance everyday user experiences. --- ### Haptic Composer 2.8: Smarter, Faster, Better, and More Efficient Than Ever URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-composer-2-8-smarter-faster-better-and-more-efficient-than-ever/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2025-09-16 · Category: Product Update > We're excited to announce the release of Haptic Composer 2.8, our most significant update yet. This release brings a completely redesigned interface, powerful new batch processing capabilities, and performance improvements that will transform how you create haptic experiences. Now Available on macOS Haptic Composer is officially coming to Mac—for the very first time. We’re excited to announce the release of Haptic Composer 2.8, our most significant update yet. This release brings a completely redesigned interface, powerful new batch processing capabilities, and performance improvements that will transform how you create haptic experiences. ##### Now Available on macOS Haptic Composer is officially coming to Mac—for the very first time. Developers and creators on macOS can now enjoy the same powerful editing, playback, and effect-building tools that have redefined haptic design on Windows. Installation is quick and seamless through our GitHub release, so you can get started in minutes. And when paired with Razer Synapse for Mac, you’ll unlock full testing support on Razer Sensa HD Haptic devices—bringing your effects to life exactly as players will feel them. This milestone release opens the door for an even wider community of creators to push the boundaries of immersion. ##### A Fresh New Interface The most noticeable change in 2.8 is our completely revamped user interface. We’ve redesigned the main view with cleaner, more intuitive layouts for both vibration and stiffness sensation editing. The new interface provides better visual feedback and makes it easier to fine-tune your haptic effects. Our Note Editor has also received a major overhaul, offering more precise control over individual haptic events. The streamlined design reduces clutter while putting the most important tools at your fingertips. ##### Main view – Vibration Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Main view – Stiffness Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Note Editor Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Batch Processing: Work Smarter, Not Harder One of the most requested features is finally here: batch processing. Convert multiple audio files into haptic effects at once, eliminating the need for repetitive manual work. The new batch processing interface is accessible via a dedicated button in the main view, allowing you to easily queue multiple files for conversion. Whether you’re working with an extensive sound library or processing variations of the same sound, batch processing streamlines your workflow and saves valuable time. A new button in the main view provides access to Batch processing as well. ##### Enhanced Playback and Testing Testing your haptic effects is now more intuitive than ever. The redesigned playback system lets you start playback from any point using the slider—making it easier to isolate and test specific sections of your effects. Key playback improvements include: • Better audio waveform generation for clearer visual feedback • Secured real-time audio loop for consistent playback • New real-time haptic loop that supports full effect playback—with or without audio ##### Performance Improvements That Makes a Difference in Numbers The performance improvements in 2.8 are substantial and will be immediately noticeable when compared to the previous version. Lightning-Fast File Conversion Our testing shows dramatic speed improvements in audio-to-haptic conversion: • Old Composer average: ~9.5 seconds per file • New Composer average: ~4 seconds per file That’s an almost 60% reduction in conversion time! ##### Audio to Haptic Conversion Performance Comparison New Composer Process Old Composer Process Case-by-Case Performance Comparison Audio File Old Composer New Composer Improvement Aeroblast.wav 13.09s 4.90s 62.6% faster Bubble.wav 9.07s 3.56s 60.7% faster Dig.wav 10.37s 3.46s 66.6% faster Explosion.wav 9.85s 3.68s 62.6% faster Fly.wav 9.66s 3.85s 60.1% faster Giga Drain.wav 8.84s 4.11s 53.5% faster Hydro Cannon.wav 8.65s 3.69s 57.3% faster Iron Tail.wav 7.85s 3.65s 53.5% faster Mega Punch.wav 8.45s 4.19s 50.4% faster Razor Leaf.wav 8.72s 4.54s 47.9% faster Avg conversion time 9.53s 3.96s 58.4% faster Additionally, batch audio-to-haptics conversion is now supported—and as shown in the GIF, converting and opening a group of files with the same settings is lightning fast. ##### Faster File Opening Opening large haptic files (30+ seconds) is now significantly faster, cutting down wait times and boosting productivity when working with complex, long-duration effects. See below the difference in opening a 1 minute file in the old and new Haptic Composer. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Timeline Interactions That Keep Up with Your Creativity Zooming and resizing the timeline—two essential operations when working with haptic effects—are now smoother and more responsive than ever. While the previous Composer occasionally struggled with heavier timelines, the new version offers a noticeably more fluid and intuitive editing experience. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Moving and Editing Large Notes Working with complex haptic notes is now significantly faster. Moving a large note—which previously took a few seconds—now responds in just half a second. This subtle yet powerful improvement streamlines your workflow, especially when fine-tuning detailed haptic patterns. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Melody Management Made Effortless The difference in melody operations is perhaps the most striking improvement: • Adding a melody: Reduced from ~5 seconds to ~0.3 seconds (94% faster) • Removing a melody: Dropped from 6-8 seconds to 0.4-0.5 seconds (93% faster) With faster interactions, you’re free to experiment with melodic structures—no more frustrating slowdowns interrupting your creative process. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Instant Note Editor Access Opening the Note Editor – a core tool for detailed haptic editing – has been transformed from a 5-second wait into a near-instantaneous action taking less than 1 second. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Keyframe Manipulation at the Speed of Thought Perhaps the most impressive improvement is in keyframe operations: • Multiple keyframe selection: From ~5 seconds to instant • Moving selected keyframes: From ~6 seconds to instant These operations are fundamental to haptic editing, and making them instantaneous transforms the entire editing experience. You can now select and move multiple keyframes as quickly as you can think, enabling a more fluid and creative workflow. Old Version 2.8 Version ##### Performance Limits and Recommendations While we’ve made significant performance improvements, it’s worth noting the practical limits for optimal performance: • Simple content: Files up to ~60 seconds maintain peak performance • Complex content: Files up to ~30 seconds for best experience These limits represent substantial improvements over previous versions and should accommodate the vast majority of haptic effect creation scenarios. ##### Seamless Auto-Updates We’ve completely overhauled our update system using GitHub releases. Updates are now more reliable, faster to download, and less intrusive to your workflow. The new system ensures you’ll always have access to the latest features and bug fixes. ##### Get Started Today Haptic Composer 2.8 marks a significant step forward in haptic design. This release reinforces our commitment to delivering a faster, more intuitive, and more efficient creation experience. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting to explore haptic design, these enhancements are built to streamline your workflow and unlock greater creative freedom. The update is available now through our improved auto-update system. If you’re running a previous version, you’ll be prompted to upgrade automatically. Ready to experience the future of haptic design? Download Haptic Composer today and feel the difference. [Download for Windows](https://github.com/Interhaptics/HapticComposer/releases/latest/download/HapticComposer_Setupx64.exe) [Download for MacOS](https://github.com/WyvrnOfficial/HapticComposer_MacOS/releases/download/2.8.0/HapticComposer_Setuparm64.dmg) --- ### WYVRN Technologies: Integrating Razer Sensa HD Haptics into Games URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/wyvrn-technologies-integrating-razer-sensa-hd-haptics-into-games/ Author: Detjon Brahimaj, Senior Software Engineer · Published: 2025-09-02 · Category: Haptics > In the quest for deeper immersion, game developers are turning to tactile technologies that go beyond visuals and sound. Enter the WYVRN SDK — an all-in-one Razer technologies solution that lets developers easily integrate haptics response, RGB lightning, and spatial audio effects, all using a single, unified SDK. In the quest for deeper immersion, game developers are turning to tactile technologies that go beyond visuals and sound. Enter the WYVRN SDK — an all-in-one Razer technologies solution that lets developers easily integrate haptics response, RGB lightning, and spatial audio effects, all using a single, unified SDK. n this overview, we’ll spotlight Razer Sensa HD Haptics — a cutting-edge feature of Razer’s WYVRN ecosystem that brings physical sensation to virtual experiences. From the crunch of gravel underfoot to the pulse of a nearby explosion, Razer Sensa HD Haptics lets players feel the game like never before. ##### One SDK to Rule Them All The WYVRN SDK is the all-in-one SDK for all Razer technologies: AI Gaming Tools, Razer Chroma RGB, and Razer Sensa HD Haptics. The WYVRN SDK integration process happens in collaboration with the Razer/WYVRN Team, who designs the Razer Chroma RGB animations, haptic effects, and provides the AI integration. Unlike the Razer Chroma RGB SDK and Interhaptics SDK which can be used independently (without WYVRN team involvement), the WYVRN SDK integration requires working directly with the WYVRN team as everything is hosted on the Razer Synapse 4 side. Game developers don’t need to design their own haptic effects or Razer Chroma RGB animations when using the WYVRN SDK – this is handled by the WYVRN team. WYVRN SDK offers: • Razer Chroma RGB integration • Razer Sensa HD Haptics integration • AI integration The WYVRN SDK can play Razer Chroma RGB animations and haptics on the Razer Sensa HD Haptics devices. SetEventName() can trigger AI interaction, RGB lighting, or haptics or all of the above. ##### What Is Razer Sensa HD Haptics? Razer Sensa HD Haptics is a high-definition tactile feedback platform that delivers nuanced vibrations and sensations. Unlike traditional rumble motors, Razer Sensa HD Haptics compatible devices use advanced actuators to simulate directional impacts, environmental cues providing spatialized haptics with remarkable fidelity. This increases notably the immersive experience of gaming, allowing players to physically feel impacts, hits, and even form a deeper emotional connection with the character. Unlike traditional workflows where haptics had to be integrated during core stages of game development, the WYVRN SDK streamlines the process. Studios simply tag in-game event messages — and the Razer Sensa HD Haptics platform takes care of the rest. Haptic effects are designed externally, outside the game engine, allowing game developers to focus on gameplay quality while haptic designers independently craft high-fidelity tactile experiences. This separation of concerns eliminates the need for constant back-and-forth communication. The WYVRN SDK offers more than just haptic integration — it’s a comprehensive platform that brings together Razer Sensa HD Haptics, Razer Chroma RGB lighting, THX spatial audio, and AI-driven enhancements. Together, these technologies deliver unprecedented precision, immersion, and creative freedom for developers. This unified vision puts WYVRN at the forefront of innovation, redefining the future of game development and driving the gaming market to a new level. The vision of WYVRN is collaboration — everyone on the same boat. The system isn’t exclusively limited to Razer devices: both Razer Chroma RGB and Razer Sensa HD Haptics allow third parties into the ecosystem. Through official partnerships, external manufacturers can integrate their devices with WYVRN’s lighting and haptics frameworks, expanding the reach of the technology across the market. This approach not only increases hardware compatibility but also adds fun for the final user’s overall gaming experience. By relying on a unified and powerful SDK, developers can shift their focus from complex technical integrations to game design and creativity. The WYVRN SDK removes the need to juggle multiple toolchains, streamlining the entire development process. All is handled by the Razer Synapse 4 and the Chroma App, which are necessary dependencies for the whole ecosystem to work properly, allowing the best immersive experience possible. ##### From Theory to Practice: How to Integrate Razer Sensa HD Haptics The WYVRN SDK offers plug-and-play support for Razer Sensa HD Haptics in Game engines like Unity and Unreal. Developers can define game events and trigger haptic effects, chroma effects, or both. Then the platform takes care of synchronization, ensuring the best-in-market gaming experience. ##### Integrating Game Events Integration of game events is the only action required on the game side. The choice of game events marks the entry point for WYVRN SDK integration. The implementation begins by selecting in-game events that should trigger immersive effects — with recommendations categorized by priority: high, medium, or low. Choosing when to trigger haptic feedback is indeed crucial for creating an optimal player experience. Well-timed interactions enhance realism, emotional impact, and overall immersion. Game events can be of different kinds, spanning from game state, player state or action, to environmental state and more. It is possible to trigger events at different stages of an action, such as when it begins or when it completes. It is important to note that, by default, one event is fired per action. However, developers may ask for additional events to expand the gameplay or even remove events that may no longer be relevant. When defining in-game events, it is important to start with a minimal set and add events later rather than the other way around. Begin with key moments — such as combat or environmental transitions. Maintaining balance is essential. Overloading the player with constant haptic cues can lead to sensory fatigue, reducing the effectiveness of each effect and ultimately harming immersion. When feedback is always present, it risks becoming background noise — dulling emotional response and diminishing player engagement. Well-timed haptics, on the other hand, elevate emotional moments and reinforce the connection between player and game. In haptics design, less is more. The game event design and the possible revisions ensure alignment between the game developers and the haptic (and chroma) designers. To integrate game events, developers simply insert calls to SetEventName() with unique string identifiers corresponding to each event. This process is lightweight and typically takes no more than five days for a single developer. The event can trigger haptic effects, chroma effect or both, depending on the type of game and the designer intentions. ##### Designing Haptic Effects As previously mentioned, haptic effects are designed externally, independent of the game environment. This means haptics can be added without modifying the game’s code — and even after the game has been released. Designers can use the Haptic Composer to: • Create custom vibration profiles • Preview effects and test in real-time with any Razer Sensa HD Haptics platform-compatible device The in-game testing parts are typically provided using Betakeys and, when applicable, console commands which are restricted to the QA review team. This setup allows testers to easily navigate the build and trigger specific events at the right moments, ensuring that haptic and visual effects behave correctly. Designer intentions and underlying game animations drive the design of in-game haptic effects. To illustrate this, lets take a look at the haptic design workflow and designer’s intentions for Iron Man in Marvel Rivals. ##### Example: Iron man - Unibeam For the Unibeam attack, the intention was to convey a powerful energy surging from Iron Man’s chest, in sync with the animation. The haptic design aimed to replicate the laser effect with precision, emphasizing its intensity. To achieve this, four different notes with similar amplitude but varying frequencies are looped. This creates the impression of a continuous effect, while the frequency variations add dynamism. For an in-deep hands-on look at the haptic design behind Marvel Rivals, we recommend reading Immersion Redefined: The Tech Behind Marvel Rivals’ Sensory Revolution. ##### Linking Game Event to Haptic Effects Now we have all the ingredients to enhance game experience with Razer Sensa HD Haptics platform and Razer Chroma RGB. What is missing? We need to create our configuration file, the WYVRN.config. This file contains all the necessary information about haptics, chroma and AI. For haptics, WYVRN.config defines default targeting for the generated entries for each detected command. Any WYVRN game event will be associated with one or more haptic effects depending on the design intent, spatialization, haptic intensity and other parameters. To activate it, put the game’s folder containing all the haptic effects and the WYVRN.config file inside C:\Program Files (x86)\Interhaptics\hapticFolders \GameName. Once the game is launched, the platform will automatically detect the configuration and load the corresponding data. The haptic engine embedded in the platform will take care of rendering each haptic effect (and chroma lighting, if defined) on the appropriate body parts (target). Note: Haptic configuration files are automatically distributed by the team through Chroma App updates. ##### Testing With everything in place, the final step is testing — the fine-tuning phase of the process. Here, the designer plays through the game and adjusts any haptic effects that feel off, out of sync, or overwhelming. To simply the testing phase, game studios provide ad-hoc build of the game (yes, we use cheat codes here) so that the designer can jump directly to specific game moments without needing to progress through levels or win fights, saving valuable time. Razer Sensa HD Haptics is more than a gimmick—i it’s a powerful tool for creating richer, more inclusive gaming experiences. With WYVRN’s developer tools, integrating this technology is both accessible and rewarding. --- ### Interhaptics X eaiHAPTICS: Advancing Multisensory Storytelling URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-x-eaihaptics-advancing-multisensory-storytelling/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2025-08-28 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and eaiHAPTICS, a division of Engineering Acoustics, Inc., are thrilled to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration focuses on integrating Interhaptics’ cutting-edge haptic platform with eaiHAPTICS’ spatial haptic systems, enabling the creation of deeply immersive and emotionally engaging experiences across theme parks, entertainment venues, and XR environments. Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and eaiHAPTICS, a division of Engineering Acoustics, Inc., are thrilled to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration focuses on integrating Interhaptics’ cutting-edge haptic platform with eaiHAPTICS’ spatial haptic systems, enabling the creation of deeply immersive and emotionally engaging experiences across theme parks, entertainment venues, and XR environments. The Interhaptics Platform, which powers Razer Sensa HD haptics, delivers a high-definition turnkey solution that enhances digital interactions through precise tactile feedback. eaiHAPTICS specializes in spatial haptics—complex tactile sensations that move across the user’s body—used in attractions such as dark rides, flying theaters, and interactive exhibits. Their portfolio includes haptic seat and floor systems, wearable haptic solutions, and the HapTrax™ software for authoring multi-channel haptic effects. By combining Interhaptics’ HD haptics protocols, APIs, and firmware with eaiHAPTICS’ hardware and integration expertise, the partnership empowers creators to design unforgettable experiences that blend motion, sound, and touch. This synergy opens new possibilities for storytelling, simulation, and entertainment, where users don’t just see and hear—but truly feel—the experience. Together, Interhaptics and eaiHAPTICS are redefining immersive design, bringing haptic innovation to the forefront of experiential technology. #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, is a leading HD Haptic software provider. Founded in 2017 in France, Interhaptics equips developers with intuitive tools for designing wideband haptics across PC, Console, Mobile, and XR platforms. The company has played a pivotal role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to lead the development of future standards. Now part of WYVRN, Razer’s advanced technology brand, Interhaptics powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics peripherals, delivering immersive tactile experiences that redefine digital interaction. Operating as an independent entity within Razer, Interhaptics remains committed to simplifying haptic integration and maximizing device capabilities, enabling creators to craft compelling, high-fidelity digital experiences. #### About eaiHAPTICS eaiHAPTICS, a division of Engineering Acoustics, Inc., is a leader in spatial haptic systems for entertainment, simulation, and XR applications. With over 25 years of experience in vibrotactile and multisensory technologies for military, biomedical, and commercial sectors, eaiHAPTICS merges engineering precision with creative innovation. Their solutions include haptic seat and floor systems, wearable haptics, and the HapTrax™ software platform. Based in Central Florida, eaiHAPTICS supports theme parks and immersive venues with turnkey haptic integration, helping creators deliver unforgettable experiences that guests can truly feel. --- ### Audio-Haptic Synergy: Interhaptics and Foster Electric Partner for Next-Gen Haptic Experiences URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/audio-haptic-synergy-interhaptics-and-foster-electric-partner-for-next-gen-haptic-experiences/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2025-08-25 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and Foster Electric Company, Limited are pleased to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to integrate Interhaptics’ advanced haptic platform with Foster’s world-class acoustic and vibration technologies, enabling the next generation of immersive, haptically enhanced products across consumer electronics, gaming, and automotive sectors. Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and Foster Electric Company, Limited are pleased to announce their strategic partnership. This collaboration aims to integrate Interhaptics’ advanced haptic platform with Foster’s world-class acoustic and vibration technologies, enabling the next generation of immersive, haptically enhanced products across consumer electronics, gaming, and automotive sectors. The Interhaptics Platform, which powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics, delivers a high-definition turnkey solution that enhances digital interactions through precise tactile feedback. Foster Electric, a global leader in acoustic components and vibration actuators, brings decades of expertise in sound and haptic hardware, with a product portfolio that includes speakers, headphones, buzzers, and advanced vibration modules. By combining Interhaptics’ HD haptics protocols, APIs, and firmware with Foster’s cutting-edge transducer technologies, the partnership empowers OEMs to create deeply immersive, audio-haptic experiences that elevate realism, responsiveness, and emotional engagement in digital environments. Together, Interhaptics and Foster Electric are poised to redefine the future of haptic audio, delivering innovative solutions that bring “Sound to Life” and transform how users interact with technology. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, is a leading HD Haptic software provider. Founded in 2017 in France, Interhaptics equips developers with intuitive tools for designing wideband haptics across PC, Console, Mobile, and XR platforms. The company has played a pivotal role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to lead the development of future standards. Now part of WYVRN, Razer’s advanced technology brand, Interhaptics powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics peripherals, delivering immersive tactile experiences that redefine digital interaction. Operating as an independent entity within Razer, Interhaptics remains committed to simplifying haptic integration and maximizing device capabilities, enabling creators to craft compelling, high-fidelity digital experiences. ##### About Foster Electric Company, Limited Foster Electric, founded in 1949 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a global leader in acoustic and vibration technologies. With over 15,000 employees worldwide, Foster designs and manufactures a wide range of components including loudspeakers, headphones, buzzers, and vibration actuators. Many of its products are integrated into leading global brands across consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial sectors. Guided by its mission to “make contributions for future society through acoustics,” Foster continues to innovate under its corporate slogan “Sound to Life,” delivering products that bring joy, safety, and comfort through the power of sound and vibration. --- ### Immersion Redefined: The Tech Behind Marvel Rivals’ Sensory Revolution URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/ Author: Vasguen Vardanian, Immersive Experience Designer · Published: 2025-07-28 · Category: Effects Design > We often hear about immersion in video games—it's one of the few forms of art where this term is used so frequently, and for good reason: video games have a tool that other art forms lack—interaction. We often hear about immersion in video games. It’s one of the few forms of art where this term is used so frequently, and for good reason: video games have a tool that most other art forms lack—interaction. Indeed, who hasn’t watched a movie or read a book and thought, “I would never have done what the main character did”? In video games, that’s not the case, because the player decides what actions to take. That’s what makes video games more immersive, right? In theory, that’s true, but immersion doesn’t rely solely on that. Immersion is more about the ability to transport the player into a different world. And what better way to do that than through the use of the senses? For a long time now, we’ve understood that using sight and hearing is fundamental to achieving immersion. That’s why studios have long made it a point of honor to create strong visual coherence, accompanied by the most accurate sound design possible. But today, a new sense can fully become part of the gaming experience, making it even more immersive: touch. Accompanied by ambient lighting, it’s a perfect combination to push immersion to its peak. One could argue that controller vibrations already accomplished this—and they’d be right. But thanks to [WYVRN technology](https://www.wyvrn.com/), found in devices like the [Razer Freyja](https://www.razer.com/gaming-chairs-accessories/razer-freyja), [Razer Kraken V4 Pro](https://www.razer.com/gaming-headsets/razer-kraken-v4-pro), or the [Razer Wolverine V3 Pro](https://www.razer.com/console-controllers/razer-wolverine-v3-pro), we’ve reached a whole new level. With the integration of the [Razer Sensa HD Haptics](https://www.razer.com/technology/razer-sensa) and [Razer Chroma RGB](https://www.razer.com/chroma), the senses of touch and sight are stimulated to their full potential, truly making a game immersive. And now, what if we took a closer look at what WYVRN technology actually allows us to do, and more importantly, how it delivers these experiences. To do so, let’s dive into the world of Marvel Rivals, a game where immersion is at the heart of the experience, featuring nearly 700 unique haptic effects and over 600 Chroma effects. Together, we’ll explore how, with the help of two key tools—[Haptic Composer](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/download/) and the [Chroma App](https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/download/)—we can build the deep level of immersion that so many games strive for. Before introducing Marvel Rivals, let’s start with a brief overview of how Haptics and Chroma work. ###### Haptics Design When designing haptics, three key parameters must be managed to ensure high-quality feedback: **► Amplitude: **This refers to the intensity of the vibration over time. The higher the amplitude, the stronger the vibration, and vice versa. **► Frequency: **Similar to music, frequency determines the pitch of the vibration. A higher frequency results in a higher-pitched (sharper) vibration, while a lower frequency produces a deeper tone. Even with identical amplitude, changing the frequency can completely alter the perceived effect. **► Transients: **These are short, impactful bursts that can be adjusted in intensity and timing. They can simulate events like a bullet hit or be repeated rapidly to mimic textures such as gravel. ###### Chroma Design On the Chroma side, two main parameters are involved: **► Gradients: **These define the color range within an animation. They can be monochromatic, analogous, or even complementary, depending on the desired visual effect. **► Patterns: **Patterns determine how the animation plays out. This includes direction, speed, and the ability to customize the pattern to make it more unique and expressive. Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s explore the Haptics and Chroma design behind Marvel Rivals. #### Thor: God of Thunder Let’s start with Thor’s ultimate spell. The design builds a sense of rising power. Once the power surge reaches its peak, the intensity ramps up with additional impacts. After the surge subsides, the impact on the ground is simulated to convey its force. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782132685037-20391747.mp4 To simulate the increase in power, we use a very high amplitude, with some variations introduced at the start. Impacts were added to follow the lighting emanating from the hammer. The frequency matches the amplitude’s pattern, enhancing the sensation. For the ground impact, two different notes with distinct frequencies and transients were superimposed multiple times to create a sense of chaos. We also set the amplitude to the maximum to best convey the shock. On the Razer Chroma RGB side, just like with the haptics, the goal is to create a blend of rising power and chaos. The pattern features rapid movement and extreme speed, designed to simulate the energy build-up. Additionally, the gradient uses Thor’s colors, combining light and dark blues. #### Squirrel girl: Unbeatable Squirrel Tsunami For Squirrel Girl’s ultimate ability, the goal was to realistically simulate the multitude of creatures emerging from Squirrel Girl’s legs and capture the chaos of a charging animal horde. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782132758958-81464904.mp4 To achieve this, we place multiple transients, focused on the legs to simulate footsteps. The transients start very strong and closely spaced, mimicking animals at ground level. Over time, their intensity gradually decreases. In addition to the transients, a low amplitude with several variations accentuates the chaotic nature of these creatures. For the ambient lights, we again draw inspiration from Squirrel Girl’s color palette, focusing on shades of yellow, orange, and especially brown. The pattern looks like multiple waves moving forward, symbolizing the squirrels charging ahead. #### Mister Fantastic: Brainiac Bounce For Mister Fantastic’s ultimate attack, the goal is to combine the goofy effect of elasticity with the violence of the impact. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782132813368-185478459.mp4 This effect is created by combining two different notes: one with an amplitude that smoothly increases and decreases, along with a variation that follows the same pattern; and a second note with a large amplitude and widely varying frequencies to simulate impacts. No transients are added to preserve the elastic quality. This effect plays six times to align with the visuals. For Mister Fantastic’s lighting effects, the colors are inspired by his costume, namely, white, grey, and desaturated blue. The pattern features top-to-bottom motion, tracking the bounces. #### Iron man: Unibeam For the Unibeam attack, we want to convey a powerful force emanating from the chest to match the animation, while replicating the laser effect as accurately as possible. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782132882165-296222519.mp4 We use four different notes with similar amplitude but varying frequencies, looping them. This creates the impression of continuity, while the frequency shifts introduce dynamism. With lights, we aim to replicate the laser effect. The pattern moves from left to right, forming a line. Additionally, we reuse the laser colors, creating a gradient from dark blue to light blue. #### Invisible woman: Force Physics For the Force Physics ability of Invisible Woman, the goal is to convey a brief sensation of power. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782132938926-807243798.mp4 The effect lasts only a short time but maintains very high amplitude throughout. Additionally, oscillating high frequencies adds extra volume to the effect, enhancing the sensation of power. With lights, the goal is to simulate the effect of this ability. A chaotic pattern plays rapidly, followed by the blue colors triggered by the spell. #### Hawkeye: Crescent Slash The haptics effect for the Crescent Slash aims to imitate the sharp precision of a cutting motion from left to right. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782133150319-991218624.mp4 The effect is divided into two distinct parts: one playing on the left side of the body and the other on the right. These two effects overlap for a few milliseconds, creating a sense of movement. High frequencies accentuate the sharpness of the cut. On the Chroma RGB side, the aim is to replicate the curve of the blade. Hawkeye’s colors are used, forming a gradient from dark purple to light purple. #### Dagger: Shadow’s Embrace With Shadow’s Embrace, the haptics invoke the sensation of Cloak’s cape wrapping around you, using movement to simulate the transition. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782133212314-554192530.mp4 We use two different effects to imitate this sensation. It plays first on the right side of the body and then on the left, with an overlap to create a seamless feeling of motion. Low frequencies add depth to the transition from light to darkness. The Chroma RGB effect mirrors this transition, with a diagonal pattern moving from left to right, reflecting the characters’ animation. The gradient features a transition between light blue and purple, representing the colors of both characters. #### Cloak: light’s Embrace For Light’s Embrace by Cloak, the goal is to convey the sensation of releasing the cape. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782133259368-15772270.mp4 This is felt through three distinct effects: the first one affects the head and chest, the second one—the waist and hands, and the last one—the legs. The effects spread across the head, chest, waist, hands, and legs, overlapping to create a dynamic sense of motion from top to bottom, as though the cape is falling. For the visual effect, the same principle from Shadow’s Embrace is applied, creating a parallel between the two animations. The gradient transitions from purple to blue, mirroring the connection between the two characters. #### Bruce Banner: Puny Banner Bruce’s transformation into Hulk unfolds in stages, showcasing a gradual increase in power, part by part. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782133480470-314270429.mp4 The haptics effect is divided into four stages: starting with the left chest and left hand, then moving to the right hand and right chest as Hulk’s transformation progresses. Next, the effect moves to the waist and finally to the legs. Additionally, transients are layered throughout to emphasize the chaotic and brutal nature of the change. Visually, the pattern moves outward from the center, mimicking a burst of energy. The gradient follows Hulk’s iconic green color. #### Phoenix: Endsong Inferno For Phoenix: Endsong Inferno, the character transforms into a fiery phoenix, diving towards enemies and creating a shockwave that damages those in its path. Video: https://www.wyvrn.com/BlogImages/immersion-redefined-the-tech-behind-marvel-rivals-sensory-revolution/1782133539617-746296686.mp4 To bring this to life, a sequence of progressively weakening vibrations is triggered across the body, simulating the rush of air and kinetic energy during the dive. Upon impact, the haptics sharply intensify, accompanied by a series of transients that create a strong, explosive sensation, emphasizing the dramatic force of the ability’s climax. As the animation wraps up, the haptic feedback gently pulls back, mirroring the character’s recovery motion. In terms of the Chroma RGB effect, fiery tones—deep reds and vivid oranges—evoke the essence of flames. The lighting effect follows a wingbeat-inspired motion, mimicking the rhythmic flapping of the phoenix’s wings, enhancing the sense of flight and grace throughout the animation. #### How to activate effects for MARVEL RIVALS PC Now that we’ve explored some of the effects found in Marvel Rivals, the best way to experience them is to test them in-game. It couldn’t be easier: all you need is [Razer Synapse](https://www.razer.com/fr-fr/synapse-4?srsltid=AfmBOoo7MKlPi8FRQaqwYKvURIRAIJICQCWKqJhrNf6LqwrBpwk2t5g-) and the [Chroma App.](https://www.razer.com/chroma) Once both applications are running, simply launch Marvel Rivals and activate Razer Chroma/Sensa, and you’re ready to dive into the full sensory experience. As we’ve seen, having high-quality ambient lighting animations and well-designed haptic effects can elevate the experience from simply enjoyable to truly immersive. When these elements are thoughtfully crafted to enhance both the visuals and the sound design, they add a whole new dimension to the game. In Marvel Rivals, we’ve already seen the potential across different types of abilities and use cases. And we’ve only scratched the surface of what can be created: stay tuned for more innovative uses to come! To add Chroma and haptic effects to your game, start by getting the [Haptics](https://www.wyvrn.com/interhaptics/download/) and [Chroma](https://www.wyvrn.com/chromargb/download/)tools and follow the [WYVRN docs](https://doc.wyvrn.com/) for integration guidance. --- ### Designing Haptics for Multichannel Device | Project Esther URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/designing-haptics-for-project-esther/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-03-18 · Category: Demo > In the latest rendition of CES, Razer showcased Project Esther: The world’s first HD Haptics Gaming Cushion. In the latest rendition of CES , Razer showcased Project Esther : The world’s first HD Haptics Gaming Cushion. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in haptics software that provides a general-purpose SDK and design tool for haptics compatible with multiple peripherals. Interhaptics was acquired by Razer in 2022, powering Esther with its platform Razer Sensa HD Haptics devices. HD haptics were initially pioneered by PlayStation with their DualSense controller, implementing both wideband and refined haptic sensations in the handles. This technology has since been progressively integrated into first-party titles such as God of War, Spider-Man, and Horizon. These leaps and bounds in haptic technologies more easily immerse players into whatever game they are playing. Razer aims to ‘one up’ the competition by completely immersing the user of its devices with Project Esther. The most important element when showcasing haptic hardware is to pair it with software which shows just how immersive the experience can be. The Interhaptics team decided to develop a custom-made Mod of MechWarrior 5 to showcase the capabilities of Eshter. Modding is the process of using an existing game already on the market and creating new content. This definition stretches from adding a feature to creating a level to changing the original design of the game entirely. In our case we created a level and added features that allowed for haptics to be used. For the CES showcase experience, Project Esther was accompanied by a pair of Razer headphones called Kraken V3 Hypersense and a custom controller, both equipped for the occasion with Razer Sensa HD Haptics capabilities. My team and I developed the custom MechWarrior MOD, showcasing Esther’s potential.We produced a unique level, especially thought up for the CES showcase demonstrating how Esther can be used to accentuate gameplay experience. Haptics was our main focus throughout the process of designing the mod. The following article will more thoroughly explain this process : the choices we made to focus on user-centric haptics, how we designed the haptic effects, and the particularities of working with Project Esther. ##### Focusing on User-Centric Haptics During this project, my role was to produce and integrate all the Haptic effects for the Mod. When starting off, we decided to mod MechWarrior 5 for two main reasons: Firstly, they had a well developed editor that was based on Unreal Engine 4.26. Usually, modding tools use unique studio engines that limit what external tools that can be integrated into the project. Mechwarrior 5’s tool allowed us to use a very well known game engine that has a lot of support online which made it easier for us to integrate Interhaptics’ SDK even though they support many different platforms and engines. Second, the in-game avatar is controlling a powerful robot or mech with strong destructive abilities, making it a great selling point for what type of haptic effects could be created. MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is a BattleTech mecha game where the player accomplishes missions using different mechs to build-up a previously demolished mercenary group. The gameplay is similar to controlling a tank with a big emphasis on mech management with ammunition and weapon customisation. Our objective was to make a mission that fits the main narrative of the game, whilst making it accessible so that beginner players can easily play and discover Project Esther. The first step for our team was to find a mission structure that promoted a high level of accessibility while giving the chance to have interesting haptic effects. In MechWarrior 5, the player has to move, shoot, and orient at the same time. The mech controls like a battle tank, which takes a while to get used to for the average player. This poses a problem for us designers. How can we make a hard-to-control game more accessible so that players of any skill level can just grab the controller, sit on Project Esther, and enjoy the experience? Our solution was to make the mission a Rail Shooter. This sub-genre of game is characterized by the fact it locks the avatar of the player on a predetermined path where they must focus on firing the incoming enemies on the screen. This would completely remove the need for the player to simultaneously move and shoot at enemies, all the while giving us total control over the time it would take to complete the level and the added benefit of adding easily controlled scripted events to the mission. This solution allowed us to really focus on what the user had to feel and how we could showcase the different haptic devices. Once the fundamentals of the game were decided, our focus was on how to best showcase all the capabilities of Esther. The first step to this was linking a haptic effect to every possible interaction in-game. It could be a player-action (like firing weapons, or movement) or an interaction with the player’s avatar (getting hit by enemy fire, or colliding with a building). This part can be considered the systemic haptic design part of this process, i.e. how certain events can launch certain haptic effects. The next step was deciding how we can create specific events to showcase different haptic ideas. Our team storyboarded the entire level we had created to achieve this. This document explained and illustrated what events would occur during the experience and what unique haptic effects would launch during them. For example, we detailed a scene where the mech would board the monorail. For this event, we described the interaction the player would make, the visual effects that would launch -in this case a cinematic-, the sound effects that would play and the haptic effects associated. This document allowed us to see if we fully utilised Project Esther’s capabilities and gave us a road map on what was left to produce. Systemic and cinematic design have a similar esthetic root to them. Each haptic effect is thought of through a description and a sound effect that resembles the description we give so as to be the most clear as to what the effect will aesthetically look and feel like. The main difference is that when designing systemic haptic effects, we take into account when the effect will launch in the game, and the mechanics of the effect, for example “the effect will launch when the avatar collides with an object with the tag building”. The mechanics of the effect can come in various forms. A simple definition of this is how the haptic effect will change depending on variables or conditions in-game. For example, when the avatar is hit by an enemy weapon, the amplitude of the effect will be stronger the greater the damage the player receives from the attack. This method is commonly used when doing sound design and later on in the article I’ll go into detail explaining how we integrated certain mechanics into the mod. We also had to rationalize how we would separate the haptic functions of each device: Project Esther, Krakens V3 and the custom controller. Each device is positioned at a different part of the player’s body and, as a consequence, needs a different feedback role. Project Esther is a cushion where the actuators are connected to the player’s upper legs and back, Kraken’s actuators are next to the ears and the controller’s actuators impact the hands. Since the controller, the tool that allows control of any interaction in-game, is next to the hands, we decided that any “Player-Action” haptic feedback would be linked to it. This means that whenever the player would click a button, a haptic effect would trigger. Next we decided that Esther and Kraken would take on the role of “Reactor”, meaning anytime the avatar would experience an interaction (impacts, collisions, state changes) a haptic feedback would launch in reaction to those events on said devices. Most of these reaction haptic effects are linked to Esther and would only launch on Kraken if the reaction is critical for the player (very strong impacts, destruction of a part of the mech, hit on the cockpit). With the concept of the demo done, we proceeded to actually design the haptic effects that would appear in the demo. ##### Haptic Design Haptic design is a uniquely multi-sensory design process. It is difficult to design an effect without taking into account the sound and visuals that are linked with it. When first experimenting with haptic design, using Interhaptics’ design software called the “Haptic Composer” , I often found that the effect would be obtrusive to the experience. Sometimes the effects worked, but I didn’t understand what made a good haptic effect and what didn’t. It wasn’t until I had a crash course with Interhaptics’ CEO Eric Vezzoli that I understood how intertwined the haptics were with the sound. In the “Haptic Composer” , it is possible to integrate a sound file and convert it straight away into a haptic effect. This feature exists because if the haptic effect and the sound do not match, the haptic effect will stick out to the user. The Haptic Composer allows you to edit your haptic effect while having the sound waves in the background to verify that the shape of the haptic effects matches the shape of the sound (see image below where the sound waves are in dark green). The fact that haptics and sound are very intertwined is a point that I will mention often in the creation and integration process of haptics. Having been a sound designer in many of my personal and professional projects (including this one), I can see the strong similarities between the two fields. This means that, when starting the creation process of a haptic effect, there already exists the visual and sound effect that it will be linked to. The haptic effect would then have to be tested within the experience to see if it worked properly. In our project’s case, we designed many events around what potential haptic effects we wanted and created events to manifest them. Before creating the effect, we would implement the event’s systemic, visual and sound functions to then create the haptic effect linked to it. The way we organised ourselves was very top down, searching for the haptic effect and making the event around it. When designing a haptic effect through the “Haptic Composer” , the designer modifies how the actuator (the haptic motor) will behave. There are three variables available to create a haptic effect. The first is the “Amplitude” which modifies the intensity at which the actuator vibrates. When modifying it, it resembles a graph where the horizontal axis is time is seconds and the vertical axis is the amplitude going from 0 to 1. The second variable is called a “Transient”. It is a point that can be placed on the time axis to create a feeling of impact. The vertical axis determines the transient’s strength in the haptic effect. The final variable that can be tweaked is the “Frequency” which is linked to the speed at which the actuator vibrates its mass. This variable is most felt when the amplitude is fixed and the frequency changes, it changes the overall feeling from “rumbly” to “sharp” of the effect without modifying the intensity. The “Amplitude” and “Transient” variables are the ones that most follow the sound wave shape. The example below shows one of our effects for a medium collision . This effect is played when the player’s avatar collides with a building. We can see the “Amplitude” follow the general shape of the sound waves in light green and the “Transients” generally appear when a peak in sound is seen. I modified the frequency based on how it felt during tests. Designing systemic haptic effects is similar to the process of Sound design. The most common mechanic we integrated into the demo was an effect randomizer so that the player can’t easily perceive repetitions. The human brain is quite sensitive to patterns, and haptics are easily perceived by the player. So without variation the player will quickly feel the repetition of the effect and be detached from the experience. To solve this issue we had to create slight variations to the same effect. For example, we made 7 different haptic effects for when the player’s mech collides with buildings. For the variations, we slightly modified the amplitude line (slightly so as to not make it too different from the sound wave shape) and changed the position of the “Transients” to focus on different peaks of the sound wave. After multiple tests, the displacement of “Transients” seemed to most impact the differentiation of the different effects. To furthermore increase variations we also randomized the amplitude of the effect, meaning that if the same effect happened to play twice in a row, it would be harder to perceive both instances as being the same effect.Another mechanic we added to the demo is the looped haptic effects, like the jetpack. It is a much easier effect to create since we just have to make sure that the variables at the end of the horizontal axis are at the same height as the variables on the start of the horizontal axis. Interhaptics’ software then handles the looping by itself. These different mechanics I presented to you above are commonly used in Sound Design when making mechanics for sound effects. The reason these practices are used are all to better player immersion by adding modifications on the effects based on the actions of the player or the environment. ##### Integrating Haptics into the project The integration of haptics was only possible due to Interhaptics’ work on the development tool and that MechWarrior 5’s mod editor is based on Unreal Engine. The mod editor allowed the use of blueprints to work on functions which allowed us to create systems that would use Interhaptics’ development tool to launch haptic effects on specific actuators located on Project Esther, Krakens V3 Hypersense, and the controller. The Esther used for CES is equipped with 16 actuators , Krakens V3 Hypersense has 2 actuators and the controller has 2 actuators. This control allowed us to integrate very unique mechanics for haptics to increase player immersion and player comprehension. Project Esther allowed for the possibility of adding a mechanic that localizes haptic effects in the game space. In Sound Design, spatialization is playing sounds louder on the left or right side of headphones depending on the position of the avatar and the orientation of the camera, giving the player the impression they are really located inside the game space and bettering immersion. This was an effect that we believed could be translated into haptics. The term employed in haptics for this characteristic is Multidirectional Haptics. Using Interhaptics’ development tool, and thanks to the number of actuators on Esther, we were able to make a system of multidirectional haptics. I was able to program functions that activated only certain zones depending on the enemy position, impact positions, and avatar positions. For example, if the player’s mech is hit on the right side, the haptic effect will be launched on the actuators located on the right side of Project Esther. When this mechanic was integrated, it completely changed the feeling of the game. Player immersion was heightened since the orientation of the mech would directly impact how Esther would vibrate, giving the impression of truly being inside the mech, and player comprehension was increased since they could understand where they were hit. If multidirectional haptics did not exist and the player was hit simultaneously by two different enemies, he could not distinguish the different impacts. The Krakens V3 Hypersense, Razer’s headphones, had also a few particularities that we had to take into account when integrating haptics into the game experience. Since the actuators are both located near the speakers, placed close to the user’s ears, haptic effects can be audible to the player. Depending on the amplitude, the sound could be heard more than the sound playing through the headphones. My first instinct was to create specific haptic effects for Kraken and to keep the amplitude at a lower level so as to not be audible. However, after having integrated the explosion scene into the demo, I thought that actually being able to hear the vibration of the headphones could add to the grandiosity of the event. With a well-controlled effect, it is very powerful to be able to add a deep rumbly bass sound to certain effects. Though, I do not recommend using “Transients” for haptic effects on the Kraken, because it feels like and sounds like a jackhammer is hitting the side of your head. Integrating haptic effects on the controller required a lot more precision. Our hands are more sensitive to haptics then our back and thus, the effect must precisely match the sound effect it is linked to. That is why we tested all haptic effects with the controller first to validate them and then tested on the required devices for final validation. The controller has two actuators, one located near each hand. We decided to localize most actions on the controller to simulate their position on the mech. For example, if a weapon is positioned on the left arm of the mech, the haptic effect will be played on the left side of the controller. To not detach entirely the left and right side of the controller, the effect is played more intensely on one side (90% intensity on the main side and 10% intensity on the other). The spatialisation of the effects on the controller helped to better understand which weapon was firing. If all effects played on both actuators, the effect itself would be the only factor to help distinguish them. For some weapons, notably the powerful shoulder weapons, we added the effects to Esther in addition to the controller to increase the feeling of power. The combination of different devices was a big hurdle and required many testing and balancing sessions. During integration, with three different haptic devices to work with, the biggest issue that had to be resolved through testing and precise tweaking was what is called “Haptic masking”. This phenomenon is when multiple haptic effects are played at different intensities and the player tends to perceive one of the effects. The body focuses on usually the more intense effect and completely removes the existence of the other. It’s a phenomenon that Eric Vezzoli warned about and that we perceived during the testing of the mod. Since we noticed Haptic Masking when many haptic effects were played in quick succession during intense action sequences, we had to create a priority system. The priority system would stop haptic effects when a new haptic effect with higher priority is played. These systems are commonly used in Sound Design software like FMod and Wwise to have a more clear sound so that certain sound effects don’t play on top of each other, and we used this system for this same reason. Once everything was integrated, we saw that we had 53 haptic effects implemented into the project. 40 haptic effects were systemic and 13 were cinematic. This means that 40 of the haptic effects change depending on various conditions that could happen during the gameplay experience. As explained previously, these changes can be in intensity, duration, location or form of the haptic effect, effectively meaning we have many more haptic effects then what we might think. Using Sound Design concepts allowed us to create all these different variations to make every interaction unique and help participate in the immersion of the player within the game experience. I can not emphasize enough how much Esther improves the gameplay experience of our MechWarrior 5 demo. Having tested the demo many times with and without the haptic devices, I am convinced by the scale of how greatly it betters the game experience. The player simultaneously is more immersed in the experience and better understands what is going on within the game space through haptics.I had not previously worked on haptics before this project with Interhaptics and had no idea how greatly haptics impacted game experience. I ended up making 53 haptic effects for an 8 min Demo. After working with Esther, I now see a new world of potential gameplay experiences. Esther allows game studios to push the immersion of their games. Many newer releases are innovating in haptics, like Ratchet and Clank: A Rift appart’s trigger haptics creating great variations in the feeling of weapon fire using the PS5 controller’s resistant triggers. Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora has around 400 haptic effects designed for the game. Haptics are slowly becoming more of interest to many studios and I am hoping that Project Esther pushes them to search for new innovative ways of deploying haptics. ##### By Alexander McVeigh : Game Designer MAY 13, 2024 --- ### Haptics Streaming Unleashed: Interhaptics & Razer Sensa HD Haptics Transforms Immersive Experiences URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/razers-project-esther-gamings-haptic-evolution/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-02-27 · Category: Announcement > At CES 2024, Razer unveiled Project Esther, the world's first HD haptics gaming cushion, enhancing live streaming by allowing gamers to feel the action. Gamers love watching live streams, seeing their favorite players make incredible plays and get the wins – but what if we could take the action to the next level, and not just see and hear the stream, but feel it too? Imagine the new heights gamers can go to if they’re enveloped in the game, the sights, the sounds and the sensations. The key to unlocking this dream is haptics, and at CES 2024, Razer turned this dream into reality with the unveiling of Project Esther – the World’s First HD Haptics Gaming Cushion, powered by our latest innovation, Razer Sensa HD Haptics. Streaming Haptics – bringing the viewer into the game: Razer is delighted to showcase, in partnership with global wireless, video, and AI research and development company InterDigital, the world’s first MPEG haptics streaming experience at Mobile World Congress 2024. Showcased at InterDigital’s booth at Hall 7 Stand 7B31 in a haptic-enhanced immersive streaming demo, this new gaming experience has to be felt to be believed. The demo will be shown on a Razer Sensa HD Haptics setup which includes the multi CES Award winning Project Esther, a modified version of the Razer Kraken HyperSense V3 headset, and an HD haptics controller, giving a total of 20 haptics endpoints, and will be streamed via InterDigital’s contributions to MPEG haptic and immersive video codecs The game we’re showcasing at Mobile World Congress 2024 is a prototype racing game, meticulously designed to bring the exhilarating world of racing to life with unparalleled precision. This isn’t just about speed on the track; it’s about feeling the roar of the engine, the friction of tires against the asphalt, and the heart-pounding moments of overtaking an opponent, all through the nuanced power of Razer Sensa HD Haptics. Each in-game event, from the rush of acceleration to the intensity of cornering, is associated with distinct haptic experiences. This pioneering demonstration will highlight the capabilities of Razer Sensa HD Haptics, showcasing both Multidirectional Haptics that mimic the complex forces at play in a high-speed race, and Multi Device harmonized haptics that synchronize the sensory feedback across the gaming cushion, headset, and controller for an immersive racing adventure unlike any other. The Current Landscape of Haptics: The haptic landscape has long been confined to local experiences or proprietary networks. While gaming consoles like PlayStation and Xbox offer immersive experiences at home, the same level of haptics was not possible simultaneously across a wide audience. Now, Razer’s vision—building upon our Chroma RGB ecosystem—has expanded haptics to new horizons with Interhaptics technology integrated. Envisioning a Haptic-Powered Future: Haptics streaming isn’t just limited to gaming, there’s a wealth of possibilities for immersive entertainment, streamed across the globe: Transporting Haptics Everywhere: The challenge lies in ensuring that the immersive haptic experience transcends physical boundaries and device limitations. Razer’s acquisition of Interhaptics, a company specializing in haptic software and development, was a strategic step toward this all-encompassing haptic vision and has paved the way for a collaborative technology ecosystem. Interhaptics has been instrumental in initiatives such as the MPEG haptics standard, alongside partner InterDigital, collaborating with collaborative consortium like Khronos to bring immersive haptics APIs to the OpenXR standard, and launching the Interhaptics Platform in 2024 to enable third-party OEMs to create seamless peripherals like Project Esther on a USB-HID protocol. These initiatives complete the necessary technology pieces to enable haptics transport on every system as imagined by the Haptics Industry Forum in 2021. ##### Generic media transport system architecture proposed by the Haptics Industry Forum MPEG Haptics Streaming: In partnership with Razer, InterDigital will be showcasing MPEG haptics streaming from the show floor at Mobile World Congress 2024. This demonstration underscores the advancements made possible by the MPEG Haptics standards, incorporating Interhaptics technologies. The MPEG haptics standard is now at Final Draft International Standard advancement, and ready to be incorporated in the market. Key highlights of the showcase include encoding and transcoding content created with Interhaptics into MPEG format, and streaming gaming clips to smartphones via 5G networks, thereby delivering immersive haptic experiences on mobile devices emulating the full experience shown with Project Esther. Embracing an Immersive Future: Beyond gaming and entertainment, the true potential of haptics lies in its ability to deepen connections and evoke emotions through the sense of touch. As technology continues to evolve, creators will have unprecedented opportunities to engage with their audiences on a deeper level, shaping the future of storytelling and entertainment. This is more than technology; it’s an art form that enhances storytelling, creating connections that were once the stuff of science fiction. It’s about deepening the emotional bond between the content and the audience. In conclusion, the collaboration between Razer, Interhaptics, InterDigital, and other industry leaders herald a new era of immersive experiences where the digital world is not just seen or heard but felt in its entirety, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards a truly immersive storytelling. A Personal Reflection: What drives my passion for haptics is its power to craft an entirely new medium for artists, creators, and storytellers. It’s about enabling a future where experiences are not just seen or heard but felt—fostering deeper connections, evoking emotions, and perhaps, bringing us all a little closer. Thank you for joining us on this journey into the future of immersive storytelling, ##### By Eric Vezzoli : Associate Director - Haptics, GM Interhaptics FEBRUARY 26, 2024 --- ### Interhaptics & Grewus: Shaping the Future of Advance Technologies with Active HD Haptic Feedback URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-grewus-shaping-the-future-of-advanced-technologies-with-active-hd-haptic-feedback/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-02-19 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics has partnered with Grewus to enhance active HD haptic feedback across various industries, including automotive and gaming. This collaboration combines advanced software and state-of-the-art actuators, paving the way for innovative user experiences in immersive applications. Interhaptics, the leading provider of HD haptic software solutions for immersive and interactive applications, powers Razer Sensa HD Haptics. We have partnered with Grewus, a pioneer in active haptic feedback. Grewus is equipped with state-of-the-art actuators and has its own development laboratories. This partnership aims to further unleash the potential of active HD haptic feedback in advanced technologies across various manufacturing industries and the entertainment sector. The Interhaptics Platform delivers a high-definition haptic turnkey solution, elevating digital interactions across markets such as gaming, and entertainment. GREWUS specializes in the development and distribution of bespoke solutions for acoustic signaling devices and active haptic feedback. Their expertise supports a wide range of applications in industries like automotive, medical technology, white goods, commercial vehicles, and consumer goods. This includes alarm signals in vehicles, signaling devices in household appliances, and haptic feedback in steering wheels or gaming controllers. Leveraging Grewus’ expertise in active haptic feedback and a variety of precise actuators, including piezo discs and electromagnetic actuators, in conjunction with the advanced HD haptics firmware, protocol, and API of the Interhaptics platform, we can offer OEMs state-of-the-art HD haptic experiences. These experiences can be integrated into a wide range of industries, including automotive, white goods, and gaming. This technological fusion paves the way for innovative user experiences across sectors. ##### About Grewus GREWUS GmbH was founded in Hamburg in 2007, Grewus has been there for their customers seeking to develop and manufacture customized solutions for industry. Grewus’ goal is always to offer exactly the right product with optimal quality at fair prices. Grewus achieves this primarily by working closely with our customers: where they believe that perfection can only be achieved by understanding their customers’ needs. This philosophy has made Grewus the market leader in just a few years. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, a leading software company acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, specializes in pioneering haptic technologies. Offering game creators exclusive tools for designing wideband haptics across major platforms like PC, Console, Mobile, and XR devices, Interhaptics is dedicated to simplifying the adoption of haptics while maximizing device capabilities for developers. Founded in 2017 in France, the company has played a crucial role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to be the reference for upcoming standards. Interhaptics remains committed to developing top-tier haptic authoring and design tools as an independent entity, aiming to redefine the landscape of haptic technologies and enhance user experiences in the digital realm. Contact us for business opportunities. We’re eager to explore how our advanced haptic solutions can benefit your organization and drive innovation in your industry. --- ### Interhaptics & XeelTech: Better Haptic Solutions URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-xeeltech/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-02-13 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics and XeelTech, two industry leaders in the realm of haptic technology, are excited to announce a strategic partnership. This alliance aims to deliver state-of-the-art haptic solutions across a wide range of industries, pushing the boundaries of immersive and interactive applications. Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and XeelTech, two industry leaders in the realm of haptic technology, are excited to announce a strategic partnership. This alliance aims to deliver state-of-the-art haptic solutions across a wide range of industries, pushing the boundaries of immersive and interactive applications. Interhaptics, a leading provider of haptic software solutions, offers the Interhaptics Platform. This comprehensive solution includes product-ready haptic firmware, protocols, APIs, guidelines, SDKs, and haptic authoring software. The platform, which powers Razer Sensa HD haptics, enables technology partners to harness the power of haptic capabilities across the interactive market. It facilitates seamless integration of cutting-edge haptic technology throughout various stages of product and interactive technology development, thereby accelerating the adoption of haptic technology in the industry. XeelTech is a pioneer in programmable haptic feedback technology. Their innovative product, HAPTICORE, is a haptic feedback rotary actuator that simplifies the operation of human-machine interfaces (HMI). HAPTICORE can create an unlimited amount of different haptic feedback patterns via software, transforming traditional mechanical input devices into smart tools. This technology brings freely programmable tactile feedback to user interfaces, enhancing intuitiveness and immersion. The partnership between Interhaptics and XeelTech is driven by a shared vision to address the challenges around haptic representation and adoption. By integrating different haptic technologies into a single product, the collaboration aims to simplify accessibility and enhance effectiveness. The possibilities this collaboration opens up are immense, and both companies are enthusiastic about playing an integral role in shaping the future of haptic technology, particularly in the gaming industry. ##### About XeelTech Established in 2019, XeelTech GmbH pioneers in the realm of haptic technology with its ground-breaking HAPTICORE product line. These rotary actuators with customizable haptic feedback are transforming user experiences across various industries, including gaming, healthcare, and consumer electronics and smart devices. The cornerstone of our HAPTICORE product line is its ability to merge the flexibility of virtual controls with the tangible ease of use found in physical control elements, resulting in an unrivalled user interface and intuitive user experience. XeelTech manufactures and distributes its patented technology to customers around the globe and supports in the seamless mechanical, electrical, software and haptic integration of these HMI control elements, ensuring high definition haptic feedback in the end product. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, a leading software company acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, specializes in pioneering haptic technologies. It offers game creators exclusive tools for designing wideband haptics across major platforms like PC, Console, Mobile, and XR devices. Founded in 2017 in France, Interhaptics has played a crucial role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to be the reference for upcoming standards. It remains committed to developing top-tier haptic authoring and design tools, aiming to redefine the landscape of haptic technologies and enhance user experiences in the digital realm. Contact us for business opportunities. We’re eager to explore how our advanced haptic solutions can benefit your organization and drive innovation in your industry. --- ### Interhaptics & Innovobot Labs: elevating HD haptics in advanced technologies URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-innovobot-labs-elevating-hd-haptics-in-advanced-technologies/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-02-06 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and Innovobot Labs are thrilled to announce their partnership, effective February 6th. This collaboration focuses on seamlessly integrating Interhaptics & cutting-edge platform which powers & Razer Sensa HD haptics. Innovobot Labs will play a crucial role as integration partner, accelerating the introduction of innovative haptic products to the market. Interhaptics, a subsidiary of Razer Inc., and Innovobot Labs are thrilled to announce their partnership, effective February 6th. This collaboration focuses on seamlessly integrating Interhaptics’ cutting-edge platform which powers Razer Sensa HD haptics. Innovobot Labs will play a crucial role as integration partner, accelerating the introduction of innovative haptic products to the market. The Interhaptics Platform delivers a high-definition haptic turnkey solution, elevating digital interactions across gaming, automotive, aviation, and entertainment markets. Innovobot Labs, a distinguished Innovation Design House, specializes in addressing challenges through the development and application of advanced technologies, with a primary focus on Human-Machine Interface, Robotics, AI, IoT, and Advanced Materials. By combining the Interhaptics Platform’s advanced HD haptics Protocols, APIs and firmware with Innovobot’s expertise in pioneering technologies, enables OEMs to craft cutting-edge interactive applications across diverse industries. Together, Interhaptics and Innovobot Labs are set to break new ground in innovation, reshaping digital experiences and allowing the development of a new wave of haptic-enabled products. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics, a leading software company acquired by Razer Inc. in 2022, specializes in pioneering haptic technologies. Offering game creators exclusive tools for designing wideband haptics across major platforms like PC, Console, Mobile, and XR devices, Interhaptics is dedicated to simplifying the adoption of haptics while maximizing device capabilities for developers. Founded in 2017 in France, the company has played a crucial role in standardizing haptics within the MPEG framework and continues to be the reference for upcoming standards. Interhaptics remains committed to developing top-tier haptic authoring and design tools as an independent entity, aiming to redefine the landscape of haptic technologies and enhance user experiences in the digital realm. ##### About Innovobot Labs Innovobot Labs is an Innovation Design House operated by Innovobot. The Labs tackle pressing problems through the development and application of cutting-edge technologies. Focused on Human-Machine Interface, Robotics, AI, IoT and Advanced Materials, Innovobot Labs provides companies with a framework for open innovation and collaboration, with the goal of creating products, solutions and IP that are commercialization ready. [Contact Us](http://interhaptics.local/contact/) --- ### Interhaptics Insider: Reflecting on 2023 and What's in Store for 2024 URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/elementor-25236/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2024-01-10 · Category: Announcement > Interhaptics Insider: Reflecting on 2023 and What's in Store for 2024 In 2023, Interhaptics dedicated its efforts to crafting the ultimate inclusive haptic authoring tool and SDK for game studios and developers. With compatibility across PlayStation, PC, iOS, Android, and Meta Quest, Interhaptics became the go-to solution for HD haptics in gaming. ##### Interhaptics Insider: Reflecting on 2023 and What's in Store for 2024 In 2023, Interhaptics dedicated its efforts to crafting the ultimate inclusive haptic authoring tool and SDK for game studios and developers. With compatibility across PlayStation, PC, iOS, Android, and Meta Quest, Interhaptics became the go-to solution for HD haptics in gaming. As thousands of game developers embraced the Haptic Composer and the Interhaptics SDK, we eagerly step into 2024 with expanded platform support, new partnerships, and the introduction of a B2B platform. ##### What's in store for 2024 Interhaptics B2B Platform We are thrilled to unveil the Interhaptics Platform, a comprehensive haptic solution for the interactive market. Since our inception, Interhaptics has been committed to broadening market access to HD haptics throughout the value chain. In 2023, our focus was on providing content creators, game developers, and studios with cutting-edge haptic authoring tools, such as the Haptic Composer, alongside the Interhaptics SDK with Unity and Unreal Engine support, and compatibility for proprietary game engines. In 2024, we are launching the Interhaptics Platform, offering OEMs, Haptic Technology Providers, and software providers a complete haptic solution, including ready-to-use haptic firmware, protocols, APIs, guidelines, SDKs, and haptic authoring software. The Interhaptics Platform is compatible with upcoming haptic standards such as MPEG and OpenXR. For more details, visit our website. Razer Sensa HD Haptics Powered by Interhaptics At CES 2024, Razer will introduce Razer Sensa HD Haptics, a groundbreaking platform pushing the boundaries of game immersion. Powered by Interhaptics technology, this sophisticated software-device integrated platform allows for greater developer customization and enriched gaming experiences. The first implementation of the Interhaptics Platform can be experienced on Razer’s CES 2024 concept – Project Esther, the world’s first HD haptics gaming cushion. Featuring wideband, HD Haptics, and 16 haptic actuators, the cushion provides an unparalleled immersive experience. Learn more in our PR Interhaptics Joins Nintendo Tools and Middleware Partnership Program To game developers and studios, we are delighted to kick off 2024 by expanding Interhaptics support to a new major gaming platform – Nintendo Switch. Now, you can use the Haptic Composer and the Interhaptics SDK to design, test, and deploy haptics for Nintendo Switch titles. Access Interhaptics for Nintendo Switch through the Nintendo Partners portal. [REQUEST INTERHAPTICS FOR XBOX](http://xboxpartners-ww@razer.com) Upcoming Events CES 2024: Experience Project Esther at CES 2024 in Las Vegas Central Hall Booth #15054 from Jan 9th – Jan 12th. GDC 2024: If you are exploring haptics for your next project, meet us at GDC. Stay in the Loop! Subscribe to our newsletter [Subscribe](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfq5EbSy94SFDO0pmnuz1I5FFJ3g55IsmOM37zgE01eha_bLg/viewform?pli=1) --- ### Haptic Composer, What’s new for GDC 2023? URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-composer-whats-new-for-gdc-2023/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2023-03-30 · Category: Product Update > Haptic Composer, What's new for GDC 2023? We announced some key features of the Haptic Composer at GDC 2023 following the designers' and game developers’ feedback. These features are: In-app Audio and Haptics Playback Haptics testing is a strange creature. ##### Haptic Composer, What's new for GDC 2023? We announced some key features of the Haptic Composer at GDC 2023 following the designers’ and game developers’ feedback. These features are: Haptics testing is a strange creature. It is mainly driven by these constraints: Which puts a lot of constraints on the method to achieve haptics testing in a design product. The Haptic Composer already offers the ability to synchronize haptic effects with a testing app on mobile, both iOS and Android: the Interhaptics Player. This testing method is not solving the testing problem for more advanced haptic devices like the PS5 DualSense™, or the recently launched Razer Kraken HyperSense V3 Dev Kit. These devices have dramatically different form factors and greater haptics capabilities compared to phones. The Haptic Composer solves the testing problem by including an audio player synchronized with the Interhaptics engine playing synchronously the haptics and audio track on the peripheral of choice. You can select the testing output of the application from a drop-down menu and hit play. The composer includes latency controls and audio volume controls to compensate for some system-specific behaviors. This method is a simple and effective way to test HD haptics and how the effect transposes between DualSense™, Headphones, and mobile. From our experience, designing for DualSense™ transposes well on mobile as the device capabilities get reduced but the designer’s intention gets transposed. Cross-platform design Yay! Starting to design haptics from an audio track is relatively easy, just import the audio file and hit convert to a melody. We included the capability to tune the filter extracting the haptics effect. We usually suggest starting with one device in mind for the haptic experience and tweaking the frequency range toward it. For example: You can test how it plays on the different supported devices in the composer just by selecting another device in the player setting. The testing on other peripherals is currently supported at the game engine level. We suggest designing with the DualSense™ in the Haptic Composer, things usually play well on other platforms thanks to Interhaptics transcoding layer. Interhaptics is a multi-perception haptics stack, it was natural for the Haptic Composer to support the PlayStation DualSense™ adaptive triggers as they render stiffness perception. Designing and testing for adaptive triggers just requires defining your force profile curve, and hitting set left/right on the top right menu. You can quickly iterate the effect you want to achieve by updating the experience on the device and comparing left/right experiences. The Haptic Composer is now optimized for short haptics effects (< 20 s). It is possible to design longer effects, but the haptic design experience degrades with the length of the haptic clip. We are seeing the need for developers to design haptic effects for long cutscenes and clips with our Kraken HyperSense V3 Dev Kit. We are focusing on enabling this capability as the next milestone. Do you miss or want a feature? Join our Discord community --- ### Interhaptics Launches The Haptic Composer SDK For FREE URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-launches-the-haptic-composer-sdk-for-free/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-11-29 · Category: Product Update > Interhaptics announces the free release of its Haptic Composer and SDK for game studios and developers, enabling the creation of high-definition, cross-platform haptic experiences across PC, console, mobile, and XR devices. ##### INTERHAPTICS LAUNCHES THE HAPTICS COMPOSER AND SDK TO GAME STUDIOS & DEVELOPERS FOR FREE For Release on November 29, 2022 at 8am PDT / 5pm CEST / November 30, 12am SGT: IRVINE, Calif. – Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced that the Interhaptics SDK and developer tools will now be made available to game studios and developers to use for free, allowing them to create an immersive haptics experience for games available on over 3 billion devices so far. Five months after its acquisition by Razer, Interhaptics is back with a revamped haptic authoring tool, exciting new features and four supported platforms for gaming. Interhaptics first launched the Haptic Composer two years ago. Today, the haptic design tool is re-launching not only with its exclusive unique features, such as three different haptic perceptions (Vibration, Textures, and Stiffness), but also a brand-new UI, a library of premade haptic effects, and support for audio-to-haptics. Developers can extract haptic effects from audio and directly customize them with the Haptic Composer. Game Studios and developers will have early access to the Haptic Composer as well as the SDK for designing, testing and playing haptics for DualSense™ wireless controller for PlayStation®5* (haptic feedback and adaptive triggers), as well as access to Meta Quest controllers, iOS, and Android smartphones for Unity Engine. This will allow game studios to create an unforgettable haptics experience for gamers on multiple platforms – all developers must do is import the audio, tweak it, and the haptics is ready to go. “Great haptics in games improves gamers’ immersion, engagement and retention,” said Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics. “Currently every OEM has their own unique or proprietary method to create a haptics experience for each device, which cannot easily be ported across different platforms, and is notoriously hard to implement. We have solved this issue, and together with Razer, we made sure that the Haptic Composer and the SDK are free for game studios and developers to use. We are excited to see how the game development industry will continue to push the boundaries of the gaming experience together with Interhaptics.” Earlier this year, Razer acquired 100 percent of the shares of Go Touch VR SAS, also known as Interhaptics, the leading haptics development platform for game studios. Founded in 2017, Interhaptics’ mission is to deliver consistent, realistic, and immersive haptics solutions for PC, console, mobile and XR developers. It strives to provide developers with the essential tools guaranteeing quality, faster development, and cross-platform deployment. Razer is always at the forefront of technology, creating products with the latest innovations to give gamers the most immersive gaming experience possible. Beginning with the Razer Nari Ultimate in 2018, Razer introduced its proprietary HyperSense technology to the world, demonstrating how high-fidelity haptics can deliver a deeper immersive experience for gaming, music and more, as seen recently in the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense and the Razer Kraken V3 Pro HyperSense. Together with Interhaptics, Razer continues to expand HyperSense across more products and to build the haptics ecosystem with game studios across multiple platforms together. The Interhaptics SDK is available free from today at www.interhaptics.com.For more information on Interhaptics, please visit http://interhaptics.local/ For more information on Razer, please visit https://www.razer.com/For more information on how Razer empowers you to #WinItYourWay, please see here. MEDIA ASSETS Please find the press kit here. * “PlayStation Family Mark”, “PlayStation”, “PS5 logo” and “DualSense” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. # # # ABOUT INTERHAPTICS Interhaptics revolutionized the Haptics market since its first launch in 2020. Interhaptics is the only platform providing game creators the tools to design HD haptics for every platform within seconds. Interhaptics currently supports cross-platform haptics on PC, Console, Mobile and XR devices. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology support, and cross-platform deployment. ABOUT RAZER Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services. Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Razer’s software platform, with over 200 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets. Founded in 2005, Razer is dual headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, with regional headquarters in Hamburg and Shanghai. Razer has 19 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the US, Europe and China. PRESS CONTACTS AmericasWill PowersWill.Powers@razer.com EMEAMaren EppingMaren.Epping@razer.com ChinaEvita ZhangEvita.Zhang@razer.com Asia Pacific Vanessa LiVanessa.Li@razer.com GlobalJan HorakJan.Horak@razer.com Razer – For Gamers. By Gamers.™ # # # --- ### Razer acquires Interhaptics to drive Haptics ecosystem URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/razer-acquires-interhaptics-to-drive-haptics-ecosystem/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-07-04 · Category: Announcement > The acquisition propels Razer’s haptics ambitions, allowing the company to work closely with game studios to integrate and expand their HyperSense product range. Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of Go Touch VR SAS, also known as Interhaptics. The acquisition propels Razer’s haptics ambitions, allowing the company to work closely with game studios to integrate and expand their HyperSense product range. IRVINE, Calif. – Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the acquisition of 100 percent of the shares of Go Touch VR SAS, also known as Interhaptics, the leading haptics development platform for game studios. Founded in 2017, Interhaptics’ mission is to deliver consistent, realistic, and immersive haptics solutions for PC, console, mobile and XR developers. It strives to provide developers with the essential tools guaranteeing quality, faster development, and cross-platform deployment. Razer is always at the forefront of technology, creating products with the latest innovations to give gamers the most immersive gaming experience possible. Beginning with the Razer Nari Ultimate in 2018, Razer introduced its proprietary HyperSense technology to the world, demonstrating how high-fidelity haptics can deliver a deeper immersive experience for gaming, music and more, as seen recently in the Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense and the Razer Kraken V3 Pro HyperSense. With the acquisition of Interhaptics, Razer is now geared to expand HyperSense across more products and to build the haptics ecosystem together with game studios across multiple platforms. “Haptics has tremendous value for gamers,” said Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics. “The opportunity to join Razer was a no brainer for us, as they are committed to delivering the most engaging gaming experience, and we are looking forward to doing it together as part of the Razer family.” “At Razer, we know how important it is to create best-in-class products for a unique and personalized gaming experience, because we are gamers ourselves,” said Alvin Cheung, Senior Vice President of Razer’s hardware business unit. “Interhaptics brings leading expertise in haptics and their development platform will be leveraged to expand the HyperSense ecosystem.” Following the acquisition by Razer, Interhaptics Founder and CEO Eric Vezzoli will join Razer as Associate Director of Haptics. Interhaptics will remain an independent entity, but will be closely integrated into the Razer ecosystem. For more information on Razer, please visit https://www.razer.com/ For more information on Interhaptics, please visit https://www.wyvrn.com/ # # # ABOUT INTERHAPTICS Interhaptics revolutionized the Haptics market since its first launch in 2020. Interhaptics is the only platform providing game creators the tools to design HD haptics for every platform within seconds. Interhaptics currently supports cross-platform haptics on PC, Console, Mobile and XR devices. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology support, and cross-platform deployment. ABOUT RAZER Razer™ is the world’s leading lifestyle brand for gamers. The triple-headed snake trademark of Razer is one of the most recognized logos in the global gaming and esports communities. With a fan base that spans every continent, the company has designed and built the world’s largest gamer-focused ecosystem of hardware, software and services. Razer’s award-winning hardware includes high-performance gaming peripherals and Blade gaming laptops. Razer’s software platform, with over 175 million users, includes Razer Synapse (an Internet of Things platform), Razer Chroma RGB (a proprietary RGB lighting technology system supporting thousands of devices and hundreds of games/apps), and Razer Cortex (a game optimizer and launcher). Razer also offers payment services for gamers, youth, millennials and Gen Z. Razer Gold is one of the world’s largest game payment services, and Razer Fintech provides fintech services in emerging markets. Founded in 2005, Razer is dual headquartered in Irvine (California) and Singapore, with regional headquarters in Hamburg and Shanghai. Razer has 19 offices worldwide and is recognized as the leading brand for gamers in the US, Europe and China. --- ### CML and Interhaptics collaborate to bring next generation haptics technology to the metaverse URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/cml-and-interhaptics-collaborate-to-bring-next-generation-haptics-technology-to-the-metaverse/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-04-28 · Category: Partnerships > Cambridge Mechatronics (CML), and Interhaptics are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration to combine their technologies and bring a cutting-edge AR/VR haptics technology demonstrator to the market. CAMBRIDGE, England: Cambridge Mechatronics (CML), and Interhaptics are pleased to announce a strategic collaboration to combine their technologies and bring a cutting-edge AR/VR haptics technology demonstrator to the market. AR and VR headsets are available from multiple major vendors. They combine specialised optics and acoustic components to deliver next generation audio/visual experiences. Numerous applications are possible, ranging from training and remote working to consumer gaming in the metaverse. Headsets are currently used in conjunction with handheld controllers to give haptic feedback. However, the use of handheld controllers with conventional buttons and vibration motors for touch sensations can compromise the immersive nature of the experience. CML has developed world leading Shape Memory Alloy actuators that deliver high force in a miniature form factor and are controlled with exceptional levels of precision. CML has used this platform technology to develop an advanced glove that delivers haptics to the user’s hands in a way specifically tailored for AR/VR. The miniature precision actuators placed around the glove provide kinaesthetic feedback and high-definition touch sensations in response to users’ actions in the AR/VR environment. This produces natural, realistic sensations including squeezing objects and different surface textures. Crucially, CML’s designs are slim, lightweight and low power to deliver a comfortable experience over extended periods of use. This brings the technology beyond enterprise applications to the mainstream consumer market. The Interhaptics software suite runs on the leading headset software platforms and can compute and render up to 64 actuators simultaneously in real time. It can manage the haptics communications from the headset to the haptic devices and seamlessly coordinate power delivery for the most engaging experiences. CML and Interhaptics are using the Haptic Composer 2.0 module in conjunction with the SMA glove to design high quality, immersive demonstrators that can simply be extended into fully fledged AR/VR applications. The new demonstrator will be available in May for meetings around the globe. Please get in touch if you would like to schedule a meeting. Inquiries: Interhaptics Sarah Alkibsy, Partnership ManagerTel : +33(0)7 52 64 20 67Mail: sarah@interhaptics.com Cambridge Mechatronics Will Foote, Head of Marketing Tel: +44 (0) 1223 450 190 Email: marketing@cambridgemechatronics.com #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for the metaverse, mobile, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology, and cross-platform deployment. #### About Cambridge Mechatronics Cambridge Mechatronics Limited (CML) is a world-leading developer of mechanical, optical, electrical, silicon and software designs for system level solutions using its Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) platform technology. Solutions such as actuators based on SMA wire (which is as thin as a human hair) can be controlled to the accuracy of the wavelength of light. These actuators are shipping in the 10s of millions of units per year in top tier flagship smartphones, and are particularly suited to applications that require high levels of precision and force, in a fast, compact and lightweight design. --- ### A Path To A Sustainable Haptics Design Process URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/a-path-to-a-sustainable-haptics-design-process/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-03-09 · Category: Haptics > After quite a lot of user experience research, testing, and frustrating use of our first product we identified a music concept around which we could shape our entire design language: The Haptics Note. ###### The haptics design problem The haptics design problem is a well known question from academics and creatives alike. With the development of wideband and expressive haptics actuators included in products, the creative and research communities interrogate how to leverage this communication channel to improve the user experience for several use cases. One of the big issues of only concentrating on haptics design is disregarding the enormous impact of the technology stack on the result of the haptics design process identification and definition. As Chris Ullrich (CTO of Immersion) mentioned in the Haptics Club 17 podcast: “Haptics is a system-level problem that requires careful consideration of all the technology stack to achieve a successful implementation”, which for haptics design means that the results that are identified in the specific test, and experiment can be hardly exported to the whole ecosystem. The solution to this problem could be to simply test these results on several different ecosystems and haptics actuators to obtain general design guidelines. However, today this requires a tremendous overhead for the siloed haptics ecosystems as discussed in the Open Haptics Ecosystem article. In practice, it is not sustainable to achieve today. ###### How do we then exit from this impasse? ###### The haptics language As discussed in The MPEG Haptics Standards article, the first step is to identify a common speaking language between different ecosystems. This is what is going on with the MPEG standardization and other similar efforts in the IEEE community. This is the foundation to start approaching the haptics design problem. Without a common language, different designers can’t efficiently communicate the results of their design effort. We were lucky enough at Interhaptics to be the main contributors to the upcoming MPEG haptics encoding standard which reflects well in the philosophy of our haptics full-stack. ###### What does that mean? Fundamentally 2 things: - We have been iterating design processes, tools, and methods based on a MPEG-like common language for a few years with our users. - We are aware of the deployment problem on different haptics ecosystems. We have been developing the Interhaptics engine for 5 years now, today powering a wide range of haptics devices on different platforms. Let’s focus on the haptics design process and tools and forget the deployment pipeline we will discuss in another post. ###### Haptics design today Ab initio haptics design process is usually approached in two separate ways: - Waveform design based on audio tool pipelines - Abstract amplitude / sharpness designers Each approach has its pro and cons. Waveform direct design has the value of addressing wideband haptics by manipulating periodical effects. It requires a certain level of expertise and is well suited for audio designers converting to haptics design. The abstract design focuses on a high-level manipulation of abstract parameters called amplitude and sharpness to drive a synthesizer to create the final waveform. It is accessible to entry-level designers, but it is hard to refine the experience on a specific system due to the absence of direct control on the final deployed signal. After shipping the first version of our Haptics Composer in 2019, we focused on the user’s feedback to understand how to reconcile the two approaches in a designer-friendly package without losing the complete customization of the signal for pro users. ###### Solution: The haptics note After quite a lot of user experience research, testing, and frustrating use of our first product we identified a music concept around which we could shape our entire design language : The Haptics Note. // math geek on ? A haptics note is a unique haptics element defined by an arbitrary modulated and an arbitrary modulating function of an arbitrary length defined in an arbitrary space. // math geek off The future haptics MPEG standard is based on the Haptics Notes concept. We align or stack haptics notes to create complex haptics melodies and harmonies generating the final experience. ###### Why is this exciting? We are falling in a well-known design paradigm used in music MIDI sequencers, video mounting software or almost any other audio or video focused editing software for that matter: a timeline with unique elements generating the final experience. Around this concept, we developed our Haptics Composer 2, which is entering beta now. What is cool is that it opens a world of opportunities for haptics. Every haptics note can be fully customizable by the user down to define the 1-millisecond behavior of the final effect for pro users, and we can provide a super simple high-level customization method like simple haptics for every note. You move them around on the timeline, glue them together, stack them, and test rapidly the results with the mobile app, or directly in Unity on supported and custom devices through our SDK. The design cycle is a few seconds by the way for any device. ###### Solving the blank haptics canvas problem This is all cool and fun, nothing revolutionary. Here comes the stuff we came to realize iterating the UX and user interviews confirmed. What if we could provide a wide range of premade haptics notes designers can simply drag and drop around to prototype and experience? What about tweaking them for the final experience? No blank scary canvas to start from, but a wide range of pre-designed haptics notes to assemble and simply understand the impact of the various parameter on the user. We call them notes presets. From a probably useful feature to test on our users, this is quickly becoming the strength of our product. We sink quite a lot of hours to prepare 60 + haptics notes presets to assemble to create complex patterns in the Haptics Composer 2 at launch. Check this out: What is cool, is that we plan to allow users to customize their haptics presets to allow to create each designer or project “haptics language”. ###### Audio-Haptics problem The Haptics Note preset concepts is also helping us identify how to manage the complex audio-haptics relationship in the future Converting audio to haptics directly through procedural methods generates a somewhat ok entry-level user experience. The reason is simple: audio does not carry haptics design intention. Good haptics requires haptics semantics and design language. We are iterating internally on what could be a semantic audio—haptics design process. More to come soon! Looking forward to contributing? Check out the beta! We are looking for your feedback ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for the metaverse, mobile, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology, and cross-platform deployment. --- ### Empowering VR development with efficiency and haptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/empowering-vr-development-with-efficiency-and-haptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-02-17 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics’s VR Interactions Essentials and Mindport’s VR Builder have been updated to support both products to be used in VR applications together. About the integration In summer 2021, Interhaptics and MindPort collaborated to simplify the creation of professional VR applications in Unity. By merging the strengths of Interhaptics as a haptics solution provider and MindPort for creating fully functional VR applications, they created the gate to next level content creation on Unity. In doing so, Interhaptics’s VR Interactions Essentials and Mindport’s VR Builder have been updated to support both products to be used in VR applications together. The integration includes hand tracking, haptic interactions capabilities and fully customizable no-code features for building professional VR applications. This integration is a must for anyone looking to improve their VR development workflow and implement sophisticated hand tracking and haptics interactions. This applies to VR Unity developers and non-developers alike. Highlights of the Integration The integration is a combination of Interhaptics VR Interaction Essentials and MindPort’s VR Builder. Interhaptics’ VR interaction Essentials is an interaction focused Unity plug-in use to enhance VR applications with precise hand tracking and haptic experiences. MindPort’s VR Builder, on the other hand,is a Unity plug-in for creating better VR content faster. The combination of the two plug-ins is a holistic solution that optimizes the process and quality of VR development in Unity. For the integration, we developed a communication layer within the VR Interaction Essentials modules that enables the support of VR Builder. Consequently, both products communicate perfectly with each other. For Unity developers this means that by using both products simultaneously they can reduce VR development time and create more immersive experiences. What if I have not used Interhaptics or MindPort products before? Then you’ve hit the jackpot! Download the full integration (VR Interaction Essentials and VR Builder) and benefit from the full value offered by both Interhaptics and MindPort. ##### Features: - Automatic setup: Configure your Unity project and VR hardware in 3 steps. 2. Define the workflow in VR with a graphical user interface: Create and manage steps of your VR app with a simple drag and drop behavior. 3. VR-ready interactions: Create professional VR interactions in seconds and according to best practices for VR. 4. Text-to-speech-audio: Simply type text to create synthesized audio instructions 5. Access a manifold of ready-made interaction prefabs: More than 10 different categories that fit into diverse scenarios for your VR application. 6. Implement sophisticated hand tracking interactions: Add a unique layer to VR applications through precise interactions, such as two-hand interactions, grasping, and snapping. 7. Haptic feedback embedded interactions: Most of the interactions included in the integration include haptic feedback in the form of vibrations, textures, or stiffness. Users will sense the haptic feedback depending on the hardware in use. 8. Cross-platform device compatibility: Deploy your VR application on both Oculus and steamVR-based devices. Where can I try out the integration in VR? Still unsure if the integration is for you? Then access the (compiled) demo application on SideQuest for free and try out the interactions. It might help you make the right decision. Have fun! Where to get the integration? The great value of this integration is that both packages – VR Interaction Essentials and VR Builder – complement each other perfectly. This means that you can create your VR application with VR Builder and enhance user interactions with hand tracking and haptic capabilities using VR Interaction Essentials. To celebrate the milestone of this partnership and to support the VR community, we have decided to offer VR Interaction Essentials at 50% discount for a limited period of time! VR Builder stays FREE and open source. Download the integration (VR Interaction Essentials and VR Builder) and create better VR content faster with hand tracking and haptic interactions! About MindPort MindPort believes that the power of immersion has a positive impact on humanity and the environment. Therefore, the company aims to democratize immersion by making VR content creation accessible to everyone. To deliver on this promise, MindPort has chosen to make its software open source and design its products to be used by anyone, regardless of their current programming skills. This low-code functionality and ease of use is what makes MindPort’s products so popular amongst both developers and non-developers. About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for the metaverse, mobile, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology, and cross-platform deployment. --- ### Interhaptics and Actronika collaborate to achieve the ultimate multi-channel HD Haptic Prototyping. URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-and-actronika-collaborate-to-achieve-the-ultimate-multi-channel-hd-haptic-prototyping/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-02-08 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics and Actronika embark 2022 with a partnership to further empower the haptics market and the community, by integrating Actronika’s HSD-Mk1 with Interhaptics. Interhaptics and Actronika embark 2022 with a partnership to further empower the haptics market and the community, by integrating Actronika’s HSD-Mk1 with Interhaptics. Interhaptics, a leading provider of haptics and interactions design tools for the metaverse, and Actronika, the expert in high-definition haptic solutions, today announced the beginning of a great integration between the two technologies to streamline the development of multi-channel HD haptics for a faster prototyping process. In late 2021, Actronika released a new compact haptics board with 20 haptic actuators called the HSD-Mk1. The HSD-Mk1 is meant for quick and seamless prototyping to accelerate the development of multi-channel haptics. The device will help reduce weeks of integration time. Simultaneously, in December 2021, Interhaptics released a brand new version of the Haptic Composer, currently in beta. The Haptic composer beta is coming out with a revamped UI, HD haptics, haptic presets, and accurate amplitude and signal frequency, to name a few. #### Integration use cases: The technologies together will optimize the time and quality of development in a vast variety of digital applications : XR Applications alone represent a key player in the haptics market. In the past decade, the gaming industry has bloomed and is drastically expanding, with this growth, haptics feedback is becoming more of a necessity of the user experience. Through this collaboration, powerful HD haptic actuators and the HSD-Mk1 can be integrated to revive the XR devices, and through Interhaptics haptic design tools, users will be able to design, render and deploy advanced haptic feedback. The technologies can be used in a diverse array of devices. Wearable haptic devices, such as vests and gloves are an example of potential prototypes, but that does not exclude controllers and augmented devices. Haptic technology and haptics design are not limited to the metaverse. We are experiencing the integration of haptics in both the automotive and the entertainment industries. One particular approach to use the integration of Interhaptics design software and Actronika’s HSD-Mk1 is in seat integration. Having interactive chairs is another channel to immerse users in the virtual world. integrating seats with haptic feedback for gaming chairs or even in cinema seats for immersive and realistic effects. However, the addition of haptics in car seats is a great source of notification for safe driving. #### About Actronika Actronika is a startup specialized in high-definition haptics, reproducing the sense of touch in its customers’ experiences and products. Actronika provides all the essential components for an optimal haptic user experience: software, patented hardware, integration, and R&D. Its work is based on over 30 years of research by its cofounder Vincent Hayward, a member of the French Academy of Sciences for his pioneering work in haptics. #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for the metaverse, mobile, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology, and cross-platform deployment. --- ### Interhaptics, InterDigital, and Technical University of Munich Technologies Tapped for New MPEG Haptics Standard URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interinterhaptics-technologies-interdigital-and-technical-university-of-munich-tapped-for-new-mpeg-haptics-standard/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2022-01-04 · Category: Partnerships > The International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) MPEG group selected the technologies for an emerging standard around haptic data representation and coding. ##### Selected technologies lay critical foundation for emerging haptics market LILLE, Fr., Jan. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Interhaptics, InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDCC), and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have been tapped to contribute their technologies to a new industry standard around haptics. The International Organization for Standardization and International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) MPEG group selected the technologies for an emerging standard around haptic data representation and coding. Specifically, Interhaptics’ encoding architecture was selected for quality perceptual performances, TUM’s wavelet coding technology was selected for its support of encoding haptics for high frequency bands, and InterDigital’s integration layer and user body coding were selected for their compatibility with existing and emerging multimedia standards and support for future evolutions of immersive media. The selection of these technologies represents a critical step in developing the industry standards that will shape the emerging haptics market. In June 2021, MPEG issued the first Call for Proposal around haptics to identify the reference architecture around which the future haptics standards should be developed, and on which future technologies will be based. The array of submitted encoding proposals was evaluated by a pool of unbiased experts, who later synthesized the most promising characteristics of each proposal to shape the final standard. MPEG’s first standard around haptics draws heavily from proposals from InterDigital, TUM, and Interhaptics. TUM contributed a wavelet coding technology for encoding high frequency bands, and Interhaptics’ proposal exhibited superior compression and encoding technologies to enable haptics signals to be stored and delivered. InterDigital’s dual contribution provides the compatibility layer allowing haptic effects to be integrated and represented, within 2D and 3D multimedia frameworks, as well as the coding techniques to support future immersive and interactive applications. “The haptics market is missing today a vibrant community of creators designing memorable experiences for the end-user. This is the mission of Interhaptics,” says Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics CEO. “The MPEG haptics encoding standards are a stepping stone towards this goal. We are happy to collaborate with InterDigital and TUM to unlock the value of Haptics for the whole ecosystem.” “We are honored to contribute InterDigital’s integration layer technology to serve as the basis for critical industry standards in this exciting field of haptics,” said Philippe Guillotel, Director, InterDigital. “In multimedia, standards are the common language our industry uses to communicate, and encoding standards are the core around which our value chain is modeled. We recognize the true impact and responsibility of this MPEG selection.” “We are thrilled to contribute to the reference model technology in this very important and new field of haptics” said Andreas Noll of TUM. “Through the integration of technologies from the three proponents, we are able to deliver performance and flexibility for a wide variety of use cases. The developed architecture is well capable of evolving into a solid standard, and the combination of coding methods from InterHaptics and TUM promises to deliver the best of both approaches.” Looking ahead, Interhaptics, InterDigital, and TUM plan to collaborate within the MPEG framework to update and integrate the newly developed reference model within haptics standardization efforts. The three parties have committed to work together to improve the reference model and finalize specifications around haptics throughout 2022. #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for the metaverse, mobile, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem through haptics standardization, cross-technology, and cross-platform deployment. For more information, visit www.Interhaptics.com #### About InterDigital ® InterDigital develops mobile and video technologies that are at the core of devices, networks, and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry’s most critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for more efficient broadband networks, better video delivery, and richer multimedia experiences years ahead of market deployment. InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of the world’s leading technology companies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on NASDAQ. InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc. For more information, visit: www.InterDigital.com #### About TUM The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is one of Europe’s leading research universities, with more than 600 professors, 48,000 students, and 11,000 academic and non-academic staff. Its focus areas are the engineering sciences, natural sciences, life sciences and medicine, combined with economic and social sciences. TUM acts as an entrepreneurial university that promotes talents and creates value for society. In that it profits from having strong partners in science and industry. It is represented worldwide with the TUM Asia campus in Singapore as well as offices in Beijing, Brussels, Mumbai, San Francisco, and São Paulo. Nobel Prize winners and inventors such as Rudolf Diesel, Carl von Linde, and Rudolf Mößbauer have done research at TUM. In 2006, 2012, and 2019 it won recognition as a German “Excellence University.” In international rankings, TUM regularly places among the best universities in Germany. Interhaptics Contact:Dr. Eric VezzoliEmail: ev@interhaptics.com InterDigital Contact:Roya StephensEmail: Roya.Stephens@interdigital.com+1 (202) 349–1714 TUM Contact:Andreas NollEmail: andreas.noll@tum.de --- ### Haptic Composer 2.0 The wait is over URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-composer-2-the-wait-is-over/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-12-16 · Category: Haptics > Our Haptics composer 2.0 and Interhaptics Engine are now ready to enter in Beta Testing phase and be launched on the market shortly in line with our product release roadmap. We developed Interhaptics with the aim of standardizing the creation and delivery of rich haptics experiences for all haptics devices. At first, the objective was daunting, and a lot of folks on the haptics communities were not convinced that was possible. There was multiple reason for that: - The human tactile perception is complex - Actuators are wildly different form each other’s - If you add surface haptics and XR to the mix it becomes a huge mess We started this journey back in 2017 with a large research activity on the haptics technologies available and the human perceptions they could target. We realized that there were much more in common between the technology compared to what was commonly known. There was a layer of similarity between the human perception of a spatial texture delivered with an Electroadhesion device and a similar sensation delivered with a vibrotactile wideband actuator, even if the driving software and circuit were vastly different. This work allowed us to build a rendering and encoding model for perceptual haptics rendering we delivered on the market at the end of 2019. We tested on the market this model and technology developing partnership with haptics technology and device manufacturers allowing us to understand the limits of our first implementation. Some examples are: - Partnership with Senseglove - Partnership with Nanoport We delivered several customer projects using Interhaptics. Being our own customers and having early iterations with the developer and integrator community helped us refine iteratively re-define the product and understand what needed to be modified at the core level to make it scalable on every haptics device in the world. The breakthrough happened with the MPEG CfP. The objective was to create the .MP3 of haptics !!!! that was a thing to reflect upon and challenge our basic assumptions. The technological and scientific challenge was hard. Meet with the same encoding and perceptual model the needs for wideband PCM encoding like music, and perfect transcoding of wildly used descriptive codec such as AHAP form Apple and IVS form Immersion. The team did their best and in September at MPEG 136 Interhaptics proposal was chosen as the foundational architecture for the future MP3 of Haptics. Read here more about that. We are deeply aware that without great content facing creation tools, and simple SDKs software implementers will hardly implement the standard. For this reason, in parallel with the CfP progressing we restructured the global Interhaptics architecture to meet the challenging needs for the content creators, haptics technology manufacturers, and haptics OEMs alike. We are glad to announce that the wait is over! Our Haptics composer 2.0 and Interhaptics Engine are now ready to enter in Beta Testing phase and be launched on the market shortly in line with our product release roadmap. Subscribe at this link if you want to participate to the beta. To celebrate this milestone, we decided to offer for free our Haptics for Mobile SDK on the Unity Asset store till new year. We would love to hear your thoughts, leave a feedback and join our discord community. --- ### Open Haptics Ecosystem: unlock a tremendous value for the haptics market URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/open-haptics-ecosystem-unlock-a-tremendous-value-for-the-haptics-market/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-12-09 · Category: Industry Insight > By Eric Vezzoli, CEO Interhaptics: I’m opinionated and loud about Haptics. I seek to challenge my views to improve my understanding of the market and technology. If you agree with me, let me know. If you don’t, tell me why I’m wrong and what does not work. By Eric Vezzoli, CEO Interhaptics. Disclaimer I’m opinionated and loud about Haptics. I seek to challenge my views to improve my understanding of the market and technology. If you agree with me, let me know. If you don’t, tell me why I’m wrong and what does not work. I’m also host of the Haptics Club and board member of Haptics Industry Forum. This post does not necessarily reflect the view of these organisations. Summary: A major upside for the haptics market is locked in the impact of haptics on usages, today unknown. To unlock that value, it is necessary to increase the rate of haptics innovation, implement a sustainable IP licensing landscape, and guarantee content interoperability. The solution is the Open Haptics Ecosystem with a value chain based on standards and public best practices. Haptics is hard, everyone says that. No, it is not. The current haptics market makes haptics hard. Haptics at this stage is like audio 40 years ago, an unknown field of opportunities. Stay with me for this write-up inspired by the discussion made at the 2021 Smart haptics conference. ##### 1. Haptics products innovation cycles Building haptics products is long and expensive. It is mind-blowing how much time and investment is required today to execute a product innovation cycle in haptics. Here are some examples: - The Play Station 5 dual sense haptics implementation was designed between 10 to 15 years ago. I tested the same controller in SVVR in 2017 at the Immersion corporation booth. - D-Box took 20 years to grow its haptics cinema business based on its haptics actuation to something meaningful. - Haptx gloves have been in development since 2013, they are at the stage of development kit today. - Meta haptics efforts started in 2015, it is unclear when they will bring a haptics product on the market. ###### Why? Besides specific hardware technological challenges, every haptics OEM or technology company must re-implement the technology stack for every new product from design guidelines down to actuator technology. Most of these investments are wasted and cannot be monetised on the final customer who will be licensing the technology or purchasing the actuators. That is a huge amount of bottom-line cost with little top-line value. I suspect that the survival rate of Haptics startups is far worse compared to other business ventures. This fact is known in the Venture Capital market leading to small and challenging capital access for haptics companies, small exit values, and a slow growth rate. ##### 2. Shared Best Practices Haptics professionals don’t share what works and what does not. It is frankly not even their fault. There was no safe space to do so. Every time a haptics startup or project is halted, that information generated during its active years is lost, and other ventures will probably make the same mistakes slowing the development cycle. I was at smart haptics last week, one thing hit me during the automotive panel. The arguments touched during the conversation were the same I was having 5 years ago when I was CTO of Hap2u with the German automotive folks and HMI design teams. Why did the discussion not evolve in 5 years? I mean, 5 years ago Tesla was going bankrupt, and BMW CEO was saying that there was no market demand for electric vehicles. It is prehistory in the automotive world. The panelists were even frustrated that they could only chat with each other and share ideas once a year at smart haptics. It does not have to be like that, there are answers to this problem! The Haptics Industry Forum (HIF) exists for that. Hats down to Chris Ullrich from Immersion corporation to recognise the need for a space where industry players can exchange thoughts covered by a clear legal framework. And it works! the XR Haptics working group I chair with Chris made incredible strides in only 6 months. The amount of common information in haptics that is not trade secret but is undocumented is staggering. We are publishing a book with that information for XR. No trade secrets shared, just a large amount of info not available to non-specialist implementers who require them to implement good Haptics in XR. Money goes to HIF, not to the authors in case you wonder. Do you want it? Drop your email here, publication in Q1 next year. Here is an unpopular opinion about Haptics: The basic blocks to create great haptics experiences and devices are well known and segmented in many other fields like product design, UX, marketing, academia, and acoustic. What is missing is the link between these competencies. See section 8 for a case study. I was lucky enough to have worked with the best haptics scientist in the world and discuss with haptics industry leaders in the last years. There is little knowledge of what happens on the other side of the pond. There are arguably 2 companies who bridged the gap thanks to their brilliant research-product teams. Apple and Sony have brilliant scientists talking and working with open-minded product and designer teams. In both cases they created a winning haptics implementation in their platform. The problem with this approach is that it can’t apply to the global haptics market. Check this article written by Chris Ullrich on the approach of both companies. ##### 3. User-centric VS bottom-up approach The haptics market is mainly made by hardware technology manufacturers and providers today. They approach the integration problem into existing systems with a bottom-up approach, which means they build a vertical technology stack based on their actuation system. It is not their fault, there was no practicable alternative for a technology company. This approach brings to the fragmentation shown in the next figure Adding on this, no haptics technology can solve the haptics perceptual problem, which means perfectly simulating reality. If you want to dive deeper, here is a resource where I go more in-depth from a few years ago. This leads to fragmented and incomplete solutions in the eyes of the end-users. It does not help that in the past a boosting marketing language was used to describe haptics as the panacea of every problem. David Parisi talks in-depth about that during this episode of the haptics club. I recurrently hear from non-haptics experts the question, when can we feel the texture of cloths on my telephone screen? The answer is probably never. The end-user and customer pain should be the focus of haptics technology companies when thinking about system integration. If your technology alone is incapable of meeting the final user expectations, create an offer that does it. Example for end-user focus: Sony is using 2 classes of haptics actuators in their dual sense controller. 2 actuators for stereo wide band vibrotactile feedback, 2 actuators for micro kinaesthetic / contact spatial feedback on the fingertip addressing 2 separate usages. Example for customer focus: IP haptics licensing is notoriously complex in haptics. Titan Haptics negotiated an IP licensing deal with Immersion to offer their customers a full package with a unique point of sales. ##### 4. Market Segmentation Peter Cooney from SAR insight proposed market research that showed the perspective growth and market segmentation for Haptics. The total market value was actuators. The trends indicate the increase of unique spending for each actuator, with no projection for software and content. Compare with and Audio or Video market segmentation, the largest portion is content and software. What if there is a potential upside of 10x of the haptics market waiting to be unlocked through usages? See section 8 ##### 5. Standardisation I go in-depth in this article on why standards are necessary to grow a vibrant content creation community. In short, with standards, you can guarantee content interoperability and create a value proposition based on software and content. If you are a haptics technology company, your customer will appreciate that your offer is inserted into an ecosystem reducing the risk of adopting your technology. The current standardisations efforts are shown in these two pictures from this article: When should your product team care about this? The answer is now! Here is the timeline for standard publication: All these standards are vetted and cross-validated by market participants and leading academics guaranteeing that they meet the most stringent performances standards. Interhaptics contributes to the OpenXR and USB-Universal Haptics Protocol standards on the host side, and we are the main MPEG encoding standardisation authors. Reach out if you want to prepare the implementation in your products. Do you want to participate in the standard definition? Reach out to me or join HIF. ##### 6. Incentive’s alignments No business transaction happens if there is no unlocked value on both sides. I had several discussions with haptics technology manufacturers about encoding standards at smart haptics. The sentiments are unanimous, most of the advanced haptics technologies hitting the market face themselves with the content creation and deployment problem. Why at Interhaptics we are willing to help with the standard implementation? Because we estimate that the value to be unlocked on the top end of the value chain trough usages is massive. That is an Interhaptics incentive. The incentive for actuator manufacturers and platform implementers is the reduction of the bottom-line expenses for haptics innovation and future content compatibility driving the need for better haptics. This should shorten the innovation cycle described in section 1 ##### 7. The elephant in the room: IP licensing It is well-known that the IP licensing history of the haptics market is murky. That changes with standards, the IP policy is clear and defined for each standard publisher avoiding potential IP licensing issues which plagued the market in the past. Audio and video markets have fewer issues due to reliance on standards. To be clear, open haptics ecosystem doesn’t mean open source. It allows industry players to specialise and deliver value on the market by establishing collaboration and asset licensing along the software value chain similarly as it is happening in the haptics components business today. It could however allow interested players to release open-source software modules competing with commercial ones to increase the value offering for the final users. This is healthy competition benefitting the market! The standards IP licensing model will be dependent on the SDOs IP policy. One simple example: OpenXR standardises the API layer. The software to drive the APIs is not standardised and every actor is responsible to own or license the IP necessary to leverage Open XR APIs. Do you have trouble navigating this world? Join HIF. We will help you out. ##### 8. Total Value Locked Here things get interesting. What value can haptics unlock in different usages by leveraging standards and public best practices? Here is a case study. Case Study: Haptics increases user engagement during e-commerce shopping on mobile Usage Scenario: User hold their phones in their hands while online shopping almost 100 % of the time. Background: User experience research shows the value of multimodal reinforcement of an HMI action. The question: what is the impact of well-designed haptics on the mobile-driven shopping experience? Market suggestions: Amazon is using haptics in their app when converting from the search list to the checkout. Method: Collaboration with dr.Margot Racat from IDRAC to run the numbers on the hypothesis. Read here about that at this link. Preliminary Results: Well-designed haptics can unlock a double-digit increase in user engagement and total purchase size while shopping online. Wait a moment. Double-Digit Sink that in, this is e-commerce. One of the largest markets in the world. Similar technology adoption use case: AR changed completely the retailing for house furniture. It brought a double-digit increase in customer conversion during online shopping. Every major furniture retailer uses AR in their online marketplaces today. Opportunity: every eCommerce platform will integrate haptics to leverage double-digit conversion rates. Why is this not happening? See Section 2 and Section 5. Some markets are starting to recognise the value of haptics. Haptics is taking a foothold in automotive, gaming, and somehow in medical training. Some markets where haptics should bring value through usages are here listed: - Ecommerce, see the previous use case. - Advertisement, I know the research is shelved somewhere. - Video content streaming, see D-Box. - XR, upcoming book. Any other idea? Reach out. I’ll update this post. ##### 9. Unlock the value: Open Haptics Ecosystem How to unlock value for the value chain? We need what I call the Open Haptics Ecosystem. The open haptics ecosystem is a multilayer value chain with public and open interfaces and API to reduce innovation cycles and shared best practices. Let’s put the previous problems on a list and think about them in this framework: ###### Impacts: Shorter device and actuators innovation cycles mean less bottom line, more top line. Shorter ROI for the R&D investments. Massive growth opportunity driven by haptics usages pushing for greater unique spending on actuator/s. ###### Timeline: Standards will be published in less than one year; the opportunity will not wait. Talk with your product team now. ###### Casualties: Companies offering a value proposition not aligned with a value chain like audio and video will experience problems addressing the needs of the market in the future. Example: nonprogrammable waveforms libraries on the device driver. ###### Some Challenges There are a lot of challenges on the horizon. Here is a couple of them. Preservation of design intent across different actuator categories: the mechanical response profile of an ERM is vastly different compared to a VCA, how can we guarantee that the intention of the designer is transmitted? Interhaptics has resources on that, other companies have too. Camille will not agree with it anyway, even after a bottle of Italian wine in smart haptics. Can’t win them all. Unbiased haptics impact. We need smart folks from academia running the numbers on usages and proposing frameworks. The risk is market overpromising as David Parisi mentions. Reach out to me or HIF How can I participate in standards and best practices definitions and implement standards in my product? Make your product MPEG compliant: Interhaptics does this, we are the main author of the upcoming MPEG standards. Reach out. Define Open XR and USB — UHP or contribute to best practices for the haptics market: Join HIF. The IPR policy is well made, and the yearly fee is not expensive, we are aiming to cover costs. We even furnish a slide deck to talk to your CFO ##### 10. Conclusion A major upside for the haptics market is locked in the impact of haptics on usages, today unknown. To unlock that value, it is necessary to increase the rate of haptics innovation, a sustainable IP licensing landscape, and guarantee content interoperability. The solution is the open haptics ecosystem with a value chain based on standards and public best practices. Side Note: Do you want to tell your story? Reach out to the Haptics Club on Twitter, we give the mike to interesting haptics folks. Interhaptics: www.interhaptics.com Haptics Industry Forum: www.hapticsif.org Haptics Club: https://twitter.com/HapticsClub --- ### Interhaptics and MindPort Partnership URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-and-mindport-partnership/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-12-02 · Category: Partnerships > Supercharge VR App Development in Unity with Hand Tracking and Haptics. Last August, MindPort and Interhaptics teamed up to help VR Unity developers create better VR content by adding advanced hand tracking and haptics capabilities, such as haptic feedback design, to VR Builder. ##### Summary - Goal of the Partnership - Importance of Realistic Haptic Design in VR - Key Features of the Integration Package - About Interhaptics - About MindPort - Future Outlook ###### Supercharge VR App Development in Unity with Hand Tracking and Haptics Last August, MindPort and Interhaptics teamed up to help VR Unity developers create better VR content by adding advanced hand tracking and haptics capabilities such as haptic feedback design to VR Builder. Together, we developed an integration which not only combines the strengths of both solutions but generates synergetic effects: - Now, when you add VR interactions with VR Builder, your virtual objects already provide an interface for haptic feedback. Users can simply add haptic texture to an object and no longer need to manually add a separate solution. - In case the provided interactions and haptics are insufficient, developers can create their custom ones with the easy-to-use solutions provided by Interhaptics. Those custom interactions can then be made available in the VR Builder graphical user interface, enhancing and accelerating the development process. As a result, VR Unity developers can save an incredible amount of development time while benefiting from more realistic and advanced haptic interactions. With the integration of Interhaptics’ VR Interaction Essentials with VR Builder, we empower our users to create even better VR content. Haptics increase the immersion for users in VR, leading to greater effectiveness and a more joyful experience. We are looking forward to further expanding our collaboration with Interhaptics! David Lähner, Founder and CEO at MindPort ###### Why Realistic Haptic Design Is Important for VR Content Creation The power of VR lies in its ability to fully immerse the user, providing a more holistic and memorable experience. The degree of realism for hand interaction is therefore extremely important in a haptic immersive experience. It blurs the line between virtual and real and immerses the user even deeper. Haptics refers to the perception of objects through the sense of touch to convey meaning through physical contact. It is particularly involved in non-verbal communication. The integration for Unity allows VR developers to create simple or compound interactions and work on the haptic feedback design. It is also possible to limit interactions to a specific body part, such as the right hand or the left index finger. VR Unity developers can create great haptic interactions like this: ##### Key Features of the Integration Package ###### Work in A Familiar Environment With Enhanced Features VR Unity developers can continue to work with VR Builder without having to switch between different applications. The direct integration of Interhaptics Interaction Builder with VR Builder makes this possible. In addition, the integration provides enhanced features in VR Builder, such as advanced haptics and hand tracking capabilities that are very easy to use. These also come with improved support. ###### Precisely Define Haptic Feedback In VR The integration of VR Builder and the Interaction Builder from Interhaptics makes it possible to precisely define haptic feedback in virtual reality. Using more complex interactions is now much easier, such as pulling a lever or opening a valve. Additionally, interactions can be provided with haptic feedback, which enables users to interact with an object, such as a lever, in a more realistic way. ###### Intuitively Guide Users In VR With Ghost Highlighting For Hands A common problem for VR users is to properly interact with objects that are affected by physical virtual constraints. Our integration provides the solution to this inconvenience. Whenever the hands move too far away from the virtual object, a visual copy of the real position of the hands appears. This shows users where their actual hands are in comparison to the required position in VR. This gives users clear guidance on where to place their hands in virtual reality. This works when you grasp an object with one or both hands. It is also possible to force interaction with certain parts of the body, e.g. the right index finger. ###### Instantly Create Textures For Haptic Feedback With The Haptic Composer Haptic Composer is a graphical tool that lets you create haptics in minutes. The application allows you to design high-quality haptic feedback, including textures, vibrations, and stiffness. Soon it will even be possible to design thermal conductivity! With the Haptic Composer, VR Unity developers can create all of this and more directly in VR Builder. ###### Benefit From Accurate Hand Tracking Capabilities The strength of the interaction module was developed specifically for hand tracking and enables precise and realistic interactions. It is based on the composition of low-level interactions that generate complex behaviors. Basic interaction building blocks of Interhaptics Interaction Builder include sliding objects, rotating around a pivot, or pinching an object. ##### About MindPort MindPort believes that the power of immersion has a positive impact on humanity and the environment. Therefore, the company aims to democratize immersion by making VR content creation accessible to everyone. To deliver on this promise, MindPort has chosen to make its software open source and design its products so that they can be used by anyone, regardless of their current skills. With VR Builder, the free and open-source VR Unity plugin, MindPort is shaping the future of virtual reality content creation on Unity. Due to its low-code functionality and the ability to fully customize the software, VR Builder is appreciated by technical developers, creative designers, and business professionals alike. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), haptics iPhone and Android, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Interhaptics at the Smart Haptics 2021 in San Diego on the 1st & 2nd December URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-at-the-smart-haptics-2021-in-san-diego/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-11-23 · Category: Events & Webinars > At 11 am on December 1st, Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics founder and CEO will moderate the panel: Haptics Standard Ascendant. #### Smart Haptics 2021 Event The two-day Smart Haptics 2021 event is a technical conference focused on the commercialization of haptic technology. The theme for 2021 is Tomorrow’s Technology Buzzes Today — The Expanding World of Haptics. Interhaptics and experts from across the supply chain come together at this event to put together a balanced, informative, and exciting program. The speakers are Microsoft, Ford, Toyota Research Institute, Lofelt, Boréas Technologies Inc., XPRIZE, Sensel, Inc., Ultraleap, Interhaptics, NewHaptics, Haptics Industry Forum, MMT, Nanoport Technology Inc., CuteCurcuit, Tanvas and many more others. As the first industry-driven haptics conference, Smart Haptics is the leading industry event dedicated to exploring the innovative solutions and emerging technologies that are redefining the future of tactual perception, touch feedback technology, and how haptic technologies are changing the ways in which we interpret and interact with our world — and each other. With Interhaptics as an important member of the Haptics Club, Interhaptics offers you – 15% reduction on the Smart Haptics event in San Diego with the code: HAPTICSCLUB2021 #### Deep dive in haptics landscape The ongoing development and production of haptic technology enable accessibility-minded solutions and innovative ways of interacting with and understanding our world. By providing a forum dedicated to this industry, this event encourages industry collaboration and a platform to facilitate important and insightful conversations about emerging haptic applications and haptics iPhone and android, up-and-coming developments and trends, the challenges of bringing a product to market, and the future of haptics in our rapidly-advancing, technologically-minded world. The conference brings together Smithers years of expertise in business intelligence, extensive event experience, and neutrality that will help expand your knowledge on: - The future of the haptics industry - Advancements in automotive haptics - The latest haptic developments for AR/VR/XR - Recent innovations in mobile device haptics specifically haptics android and iPhone - Haptic applications in health and wellness technologies This program offers firsthand information on key market drivers and emerging opportunities. Topics include current trends, multimodal haptics, advancements in actuator technology, wellness and health, gaming and haptics android and iPhone, the expansion of XR, automotive haptics, and the future of the industry, and more. The displayed panels encourage group discussion and problem-solving. Panels include: The Importance of Accessibility in VR / MR, with Interhaptics, XR Association and Equal Entry, The Future of Automotive Technology, with Grewus, Ford, Toyota, Ultraleap, and Moving Magnet Technologies, and the industry and SDOs — We Need Both, with Haptics Industry Forum and Nanoport Technology Inc. The automotive panel will discuss the future of haptic automotive technology — new products, technologies, and innovations. #### Interhaptics at the Smart Haptics 2021 event — 1st December At 11 am on December 1st, Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics founder and CEO will moderate the panel: Haptics Standard Ascendant. This panel will include : - Robert Desautels — CTO, D-Box Technologies - Philippe Guillotel — Distinguished Scientist, InterDigital Research & Innovation - Chris Ullrich — CTO, Immersion - Tim Szeto — CEO, Nanoport Technology Inc. This panel will be around haptics standardization. Now many organizations working to define haptic standards including Khronos, IEEE, MPEG, HIF, and more. Over the past year, many of these initiatives have made significant progress. This panel will feature panelists contributing directly to those projects who will provide an overview of the various initiatives. Audiences will learn: - The technologies and markets addressed by the initiatives, and their key goals - Why now, Recent achievements, current challenges, and upcoming milestones - How to participate Find the full program here. #### Interhaptics partners at the Smart Haptics 2021 event — 1st December At 12:15 pm, you will be able to follow our partner Dr. Margot Racat Ph.D. , Professor of Marketing at IDRAC Business School. Dr. Margot Racat Ph.D. will discuss Haptic technologies: enabling an e-human touch for hybrid retailing. Today’s shopping environment includes hybrid interactions from physical to virtual places. In this context, acknowledging the importance of sense for marketing, brands need to understand how they can reach out to consumer’s senses for product online shopping — How can a brand meet the need for sensory stimulation when shopping with mobile devices, particularly for experiential goods, and when the access to the physical product is highly restricted before purchase? This presentation will dive into this question and the fact that, if there would be haptic rendering technology enabling texture-like sensations in relation with the product haptic cues during a real-time interaction, would this enable consumers to better process product information? Dr. Margot Racat will explore this and so much more, having you left with contemplating the thought that technologies may be leading us towards new experiences of touch that we have yet to discover. Find the full program here. #### Interhaptics at the Smart Haptics 2021 event — 1st December Eric Vezzoli will also have a talk at 1:30 pm on December 2nd about the Importance of Accessibility in VR/MR. He will be accompanied by: - Laura Chadwick — Senior Director, Industry Relations, XR Association - Thomas Logan — Founder and CEO, Equal Entry This panel will explore the need for more accessibility in virtual reality/mixed reality with experts both within the world of haptics and outside of it. Closed captions will be used for this panel. Find the full program here. #### About Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile as haptics android and iPhone, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile as haptics android and iPhone, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Interhaptics: the future reference haptics standard according for MPEG URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-the-future-reference-haptics-standard-according-to-mpeg/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-11-08 · Category: Industry Insight > MPEG chooses Interhaptics encoding and architecture as the basis for the future standard of haptics due to its best perceptual performances. Overview: Interhaptics is at the center of a breakout point for the Haptics market. MPEG chooses Interhaptics encoding and architecture as the basis for the future standard of haptics due to its best perceptual performances. Standards implementation will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete, and those who are leading the effort will be a market leader in the years to come. Interhaptics is engaging on multiple levels of the Haptics market to maximize standards adoptions and launch a global haptic ecosystem. Engage with us today to maximize Haptics ROI and future performance. This blog post follows the previous publications on haptics standard. In audio and video, encoding standards are the core around which the industry’s value chain is modeled. Standards are the common language that industry players use to communicate. They ensure a seamless experience for the end-user despite the platform used. In short, they increase the Total Addressable Market of an ecosystem and ensure a higher ROI for players along the value chain. For both audio and video, accepted encoding standards are the cornerstone around which Upstream (to designers and content creators) and Downstream (to system implementation, APIs, and hardware) push for standardization and consolidation. A practical example: without video and audio standards, you can’t have Adobe Inc. It is of paramount importance that industry and platform actors are involved in setting standard needs and assessing them. Industry players will be the ones to support the adoption of the new standard “language” within their platform and ensure an addressable initial market for upstream and downstream operators. A coding standard built by universities without industry acceptance would not be used primarily and would remain an exercise. ##### Who issues a standard? The largest and most respected standardization body is ISO (International Organization for Standardization). MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group) is part of ISO and historically issues the most widely adopted encoding standard for digital media. Some well-known examples are MP3 or AAC for audio formatting. ##### What does a MPEG standard address? MPEG standardizes the encoding format for the digital media, the software to create this digital encoding, and the software to decode it. ##### How is the haptic market today and how will it evolve towards a market similar to that of audio and video? The haptic market is now divided into separate technology silos, while the video and audio markets have interoperable levels with cornerstones around digital standards. This difference is even more striking for multisensory experiences such as video and VR experiences. These experiences can be delivered seamlessly through network communication with great fidelity, while haptic is not even encapsulated within encoding formats. The transition from the left structure of the value chain, towards a functioning tactile ecosystem such as audio and video, will go through several steps. ##### Where is the haptics standardization process today? Two important milestones were achieved in October 2021 and Interhaptics is at the heart of them. The first milestone is the near future of Haptics as a first-order media type, giving Haptics the same status as Audio and Video in the technological landscape. This means that haptic files can be encapsulated to be delivered with audio and video format in standardized MPEG media. This is the 1st step to deliver content adoption. This means that your streaming service can contain a haptics track included in the current MPEG formalism. The second milestone was the issuing from MPEG of the Reference Model 0 — RM0 of haptics encoding. The RM0 is the base format upon which the final haptic encoding standard will be issued. The success of the haptics standard depends on the adoption of the standard by the industry players. This comes down to who wrote the specifications. The RM0 was issued following a Call for Proposal issued by MPEG. Several companies submitted their technology proposal, and a challenging selection process indicated the best technology candidate for the RM0. Among the sponsors and judges of the Haptics Call for Proposal were: – Apple – Sony – Immersion – Interdigital Apple owns the largest haptics platform in the world, the iPhone. Sony is a leading innovator in Haptics with the Dual sense controller of PS5, and a big player in the XR world with the PSVR. Immersion is the historical major player in haptics technologies. Interdigital is an IP technological company with major IP and technologies in video compression and 3D scenes. No better sponsor existed to kickstart the adoption of the MPEG standard. Interhaptics will be the technology platform upon which the RM0 will be built. Interhaptics has demonstrated superior technology both in perceptual rendering fidelity, signal compression, and platform compatibility. All this is both for vibrotactile and kinesthetic feedback. Our encoding standard will be wrapped in a compatibility layer based on the proposal of other contributors to ensure future compatibility with 3D scenes and specific high-performance profiles. Interhaptics owns IP in both the form of patents and fundamental software to enable the implementation of these technologies in the Haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics’ proposal is the basis of RM0 and is a game-changer – It is 100 % compatible with Apple AHAP format – Perfectly transcode the Immersion IVS format, the basis of the implementation of many smartphones – It connects with Sony’s dual sense multi-channel needs, both for force feedback (adaptive triggers) and for the wideband haptic voice coil. – It has by far the best compression technology that paves the way for multiple actuators haptics for XR. (Nanoport)(Saarland University)(Syntouch) – It is based on perceptual encoding, which can be easily expanded for extended reality ##### What are the next steps? Interhaptics and other contributors to the RM0 will provide a working software reference model for MPEG 137 scheduled for January 2022. The model will undergo several rigorous tests to ensure its quality and reliability for the Core Experiment phase to finally deliver a first commercial version of the standard shortly. ##### How is adoption going? Apple: Through the Interhaptics mobile package Interhaptics is embedded with the iPhone platform. Guaranteeing that the largest haptics platform in the world is supported. Android: Through the Interhaptics mobile package Interhaptics is supporting the Android ecosystem and the large family of haptics APIs XR Ecosystem: Interhaptics works with many haptics OEMs to enable advanced and complex multichannel haptics pushing the future of haptics implementation. One of them is Senseglove, one of the leading haptics device manufacturers for XR. The platform at the basis of the haptics standards is ready to support the next generation use cases. (https://bit.ly/3BWaxlV) With Interhaptics, haptics finally has a solid foundation on which to build a scalable future. ##### Upstream and Downstream Ecosystem Status Upstream is focused on designers and developer-related tools. Downstream are APIs and communication protocols. Upstream: Interhaptics develops and delivers Interhaptics packages for content creators and designers. Interhaptics offers a broad set of tools to enable standard adoptions. Some of them are: - Haptic Composer enables the creation of standard-compliant haptics assets. We will soon release Haptics Composer 2.0 according to our Roadmap. Demo of the Haptics Composer 2.0 internal beta - Haptics and interaction SDK for Unity. The SDK is compatible with the upcoming standard and allows a creator to create haptics-enabled applications in just a few clicks. Downstream: The adoption of the standards downstream lies in compatibility with platform APIs and communication protocols. Interhaptics is a Board Member of the Haptics industry Forum and Chair of the XR haptics working group. We are actively developing and shaping the strategy of the association towards an open and vibrant haptics ecosystem. The engaging activities are: – Open XR: Interhaptics is the representative with Immersion corporation for the shared working group between HIF — XR haptics and Open XR. The stated reason for this liaison is to help Open XR manage haptics APIs. – UHP — Universal Haptics Protocol: HIF will submit a USB haptics protocol building on the simple haptics controller protocol enabling a series of haptics primitives for wideband and HD haptics. Interhaptics is among the authors of this protocol and guarantees the compatibility of the haptics asset with it through proprietary technology. – IEEE P2861.3 There will be shortly an update on the relations with this working group and how Interhaptics includes this activity in their roadmap. With these downstream adoption activities, Interhaptics is ensuring and maximizing the adoption of the standard by ecosystem players. The whole HIF industry association works for the standard adoption, and it supports the effort of the ecosystem to grow. ##### Key standard technologies owned by Interhaptics Check the next figures to see which future standard-compliant assets Interhaptics is ready to market. ##### Key opportunity today Interhaptics is at the center of a breakout point for the Haptics markets. Standards will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete and those who are driving this market penetration will be the haptics leader for the years to come. Partner with us to take your haptics skills and abilities to the next level. Eric Vezzoli: ev@interhaptics.com Reference MPEG Press Release: https://www.mpegstandards.org/meetings/mpeg-136/ Reference Haptics Industry Forum: https://hapticsif.org/standards/ --- ### Nobel Prize Awarded for Research About Temperature and Touch URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/nobel-prize-awarded-for-research-about-temperature-and-touch/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-10-27 · Category: Research & Science > Physiologist David Julius and neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discovery of temperature and touch receptors. Their “revolutionary discoveries” have “made it possible to understand how heat, cold, and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world." Physiologist David Julius and neuroscientist Ardem Patapoutian were awarded for the Nobel Prize of medicine, thanks to their discovery of temperature and touch receptor cells .Their “revolutionary discoveries” have “made it possible to understand how heat, cold and mechanical force can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world,” said the Nobel jury in Stockholm. #### Who are David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian ? David Julius, 65, a professor at the University of California, used capsaicin, an active component in chili peppers that causes a burning sensation, to identify a sensor in nerve endings in the skin that responds to heat. Ardem Patapoutian, a professor at Scripps Research in California born in 1967, used pressure-sensitive cells to discover a new class of sensors that respond to mechanical stimuli in the skin and internal organs. These cells are used for haptic feedback design and are on our smartphones thanks to the haptics android and iphone. #### When science meets the Temperature perception. Eat a chilli pepper, a mint candy, wasabi… We often associate the sensations felt on these occasions with hot or cold. This is not surprising, because the team of David Julius, at the University of California at San Francisco, showed that the receptors involved in these perceptions are similar. This work has just been awarded half of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Medicine. This work is also correlated to haptics feedback, the feel of touch that we could perceive with haptics on android or iphone. In the 1990s, this group studied the TRPV1 receptor (for transient receptor potential vanilloid 1) activated by capsaicin, the “very” active principle in peppers, and similar compounds of the vanilloid family, such as… vanillin. They then discovered that this receptor is also sensitive to heat (above 44 ° C). In response to one of these stimuli, TRPV1, located at the end of sensitive neurons, changes its conformation, which opens it up: calcium and sodium ions then enter the cell and trigger the neuronal signal. The family of these ion channels then spread with the discovery, by the same group, of the receptor TRPM8, sensitive to menthol, as well as to cold, and that of TRPA1 activated by compounds of mustard and wasabi. It is this that causes tears and coughs when ingesting food described as “strong”. The structure of these different receptors, essential for understanding their function, was revealed by electron cryomicroscopy (a sample is frozen before being observed under an electron microscope). The role of these proteins goes beyond simple taste perception, as they also contribute to the perception of pain, as David Julius explained in For Science a few years ago, via the pathways of nociception, those which indicate to the central nervous system a very pronounced stimulus such as a burn. #### The hunt for sensory receptors After spending about a year poking nerve cells in lab dishes, Patapoutian discovered a receptor that opens in response to mechanical pressure. Called PIEZO1, it’s named after the Greek word for pressure. A second receptor, called PIEZO2, also allows people to feel touch. PIEZO2 is the receptor on nerve cells in the skin called Merkel cells. They sense light touches and caresses. This receptor also helps nerves in the lungs keep the organs from overinflating. It even plays a role in bladder and bowel functions. And children born without PIEZO2 receptors have balance problems; they can’t tell where their limbs are, Koroshetz explains. “They have to look to see where their fingers are when they reach out to grab something.” Abnormal responses by this receptor may play a role in glaucoma, an eye disease, and high blood pressure, too. Touch and temperature receptors may help us sense pain, too. Some companies are trying to block these heat receptors. Doing so may relieve pain. But drug companies have struggled to find new medicines that would work through these receptors, says Gary Lewin. His lab at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin studies the molecular action of how the body responds to sensory stimulations. #### It all makes sense! The groundbreaking discoveries of the TRPV1, TRPM8, and Piezo channels by this year’s Nobel Prize laureates have allowed us to understand how heat, cold and mechanical forces can initiate the nerve impulses that allow us to perceive and adapt to the world around us. The TRP channels are central to our ability to perceive temperature. The Piezo2 channel endows us with the sense of touch and the ability to feel the position and movement of our body parts. TRP and Piezo channels also contribute to numerous additional physiological functions that depend on sensing temperature or mechanical stimuli. Intensive ongoing research originating from this year’s Nobel Prize awarded discoveries focuses on elucidating their functions in a variety of physiological processes. This knowledge is being used to develop treatments for a wide range of disease conditions, including chronic pain. #### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile haptic for iphone and android, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Zoom on the new Interaction Builder features URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/zoom-on-the-new-interaction-builder-features/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-10-20 · Category: Product Update > The level of realism for hand interaction is extremely important in a haptic immersive experience. It blurs the line between virtual and reality to immerse the user even more. With the Interaction Builder, you can build cool stuff like this for hand tracking in a few clicks. The level of realism for hand interaction is extremely important in a haptic immersive experience. It blurs the line between virtual and reality to immerse the user even more. With the Interaction Builder you can build cool stuff like this for hand tracking in few clicks: The Interaction Builder is an Interhaptics’ low code plugin for 3D engines allowing you to develop realistic hand interactions within 3 clicks. The application increases the value of your virtual creations while significantly decreasing the time of development for hand tracking applications. Interhaptics, released two brand new Interaction Builder features on October 5th. The 2-hand interactions and the snapping have been introduced with this blog post. #### Deep dive in the new Interaction Builder features Interhaptics SDK for Unity allows designing simple or compounded interactions, with one or two hands, but also with one finger. It is also possible to limit the interactions to a specific body part like the right hand or the left index for example. The interaction module strength is it has been built specifically for hand tracking, opening precise and realistic interactions. It is based on the composition of low-level interactions generating complex behaviors. Let’s dive in! Basic interaction bricks: Free Movement : Free Position with Y Rotation: Sliding: Rotation Around Pivot: How to trigger them: The grasp: The pinch: Both: But also on contact: It is possible to force the interaction to happen with specific body parts #### Hand Snapping On top of the interaction, we can add a touch of realism using the Object Snapper. This tool simulates the pose of the hand on the object. This can be done for a spherical object : A capsule (replacement by haptic slider): A cylindrical object: Or even a torus: We can define the snapping according to the position of the tracking (for large objects): Or according to its rotation (small objects): (PositionAndRotation) We can edit the pose of the fingers for a hand Or for both hands: It is possible to block the hand at its first placement (first frame after the beginning of the interaction): Or to let the hand move around the primitive: It is also possible to block the direction of the snapping to prevent the hand from suddenly flipping: But also leave some fingers free: #### Enhance interactions with haptics The snapping feature, coupled with hand-tracking-based interaction, creates a truly immersive experience, both visually and practically. The use of haptic feedback is a must-have if you are working with any type of exoskeleton. Additionally, you can enhance our interactions by using haptics (If you’d like to use a controller or you have a fancy haptics device like the Senseglove) to improve the player experience. You can play while interacting: 1. Vibrations 2. Textures 3. Stiffnesses We can, for example, play a vibration pattern during the interaction, from its beginning or from the beginning of the program, once or in loop. You can play a heartbeat, a phone notification, or even a ghost detector!A texture depending on the rotation degree of a rotate around a pivot or on the distance traveled by a slider. This can be used to represent a door creaking, the notches of a wheel, or the squeal of a hand brake (that is scary…)A stiffness, reserved to Force Feedback compatible devices. This way it is possible to block the player’s fingers when he is grabbing an object to increase the realism of the interactions, or even create resistance if you are pulling a lever. #### ABOUT INTERHAPTICS Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), haptics iPhone and Android, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Interaction Builder New Features: 2-Hand Interaction & new snapping edition URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interaction-builder-new-feature-2-hand-interaction-new-snapping/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-10-05 · Category: Product Update > The level of realism for hand interaction is extremely important in a haptic immersive experience. It blurs the line between virtual and reality to immerse the user even more. The Interaction Builder is an Interhaptics low-code plugin for 3D engines that lets you develop realistic hand interactions in just 3 clicks. The level of realism for hand interaction is extremely important in a haptic immersive experience. It blurs the line between virtual and reality to immerse the user even more. The Interaction Builder is an Interhaptics’ low code plugin for 3D engines allowing you to develop realistic hand interactions within 3 clicks. The application increases the value of your virtual creations while significantly decreasing the time of development. Best used for hand-tracking and UX. This month, two brand new features have been added to the Interaction Builder. The 2-hand interactions have been introduced on the 6th of September with this blog post. Now that you can pass an object from one hand to another, Interhaptics wanted to add another hand feature to increase even further the realism. #### New feature for the Interaction Builder The Interaction Builder new upgrade is about them snapping. Thanks to this new feature, fingers can be moved naturally when snapped to an object. It sounds simple, but it is extremely helpful in a lot of immersive experiences, from the most basic ones to the most elaborate. Haptic feedback design will be empowered with this feature, partial finger haptic will enhance the feel of touch. As an example, in procedural VR training, it is important to bring hand and finger-interaction as close as possible to reality to increase realism and immersion of the trainee! It helps to manage attention and retention during the learning process. With those two upgrades, VR creations keep improving the realism. These updates will be compatible with all hand-tracking devices and exoskeletons currently integrated with Interhaptics: UltraLeap Oculus Quest Hand-Tracking Sensoryx VR Free Gloves Microsoft Hololens 2 SenseGlove DK1 All standard VR controllers #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), haptics iPhone and Android, and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Multimodal Augmentation of Haptic Touch Input URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/multimodal-augmentation-of-haptic-touch-input/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-09-28 · Category: Events & Webinars > What is the IEE World Haptics Conference? The IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) is the premier international conference covering various aspects of haptic feedback design, including the scientific findings, technological developments, and applications. #### What is the IEE World Haptics Conference ? The IEEE World Haptics Conference (WHC) is the premier international conference covering various aspects of haptics feedback design, including the scientific findings, technological developments, and applications. World Haptics Conference is a joint gathering of IEEE Haptics Symposium and Eurohaptics Conference which takes place in alternate years and rotates among North America, Europe and Asia. The conference is a vibrant environment for sharing the most up-to-date research advancements in the field of haptics, leading to new collaborations, fruitful scientific discussions, engagement of young researchers, and charting the future role of haptic technology in enhancing human life. #### Summary of the Multimodal Augmentation of Haptic Touch Input workshop The question of introducing more multimodal haptic feedback into consumer products is becoming crucial today, with the advent of a society increasingly focused on digital solutions. Nowadays, devices are now accessible to more people and we find haptics in iphone and android. Still remains a segment of the population that is excluded from these digital developments: elderly individuals who struggle to use touch screens, and visually-or auditory- impaired individuals. Most of the studies on tactile-visual and tactile-auditory integration have been achieved in passive conditions. In conditions where the sensory inputs are not generated by active finger interactions with the environment. But recent advances in haptic surfaces offer now the possibility to study the cross-modal interaction with regard to body engagement, thus offering new perspectives for integrating multimodal haptic feedback design. The goal of this workshop is to present the state of the art in the field of multimodal touch devices, through a series of talk by experts. The covered topics are tied to Neuroscience, Psychophysics, Human Computer Interaction and Engineering. #### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback design development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile such as haptics iphone and android, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Wearable Haptics and Hand Interactions for VR with Simon Frübis (Haptics Club#9) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/wearable-haptics-and-hand-interactions-for-vr-with-simon-frubis-haptics-club-9/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-09-23 · Category: Haptics Club > The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? #### Who is Simon Frübis ? Simon Frübis is an user interface (UI) and extended reality (XR) prototyper, researcher, and interaction design consultant. He has over 7 years of experience in design, digital marketing and basics in front-end development, and designed websites and marketing products for companies like SAP as head of design. For his master thesis, he investigated multisensory feedback for AR and VR. By creating virtual wearables and including haptics for extended reality and audio, Simon evaluates the effects of multisensory feedback on the user experience (UX). Earlier this year he resigned from his co-founder position at innofabrik to place his full time focus on his passion for XR. His latest project, a prototype wristband for hands-free, haptic enabled user interaction in XR, has rocketed him into the public spotlight. #### Why Haptics in the XR? Simon was quick to point out that haptic feedback design make it a lot more efficient for us to engage with computers because it provides a more precise, secure confirmation of each interaction. Considering the sheer number of devices and programs we interact with every single day, these seconds could easily build into minutes and hours of our lives saved by efficiency. At his first VR experience, Simon felt like his brain didn’t understand when he pressed the button. With his XR project and the haptic feedback design added, he reached the treshold of that interaction feeling. Haptics plays a fundamental role in giving XR a sense of touch. This is valuable whether it’s in health care, usability in VR, productivity, etc. It also opens new possibilities for remote work, showcasing ideas and being close together when you’re not close. #### What about haptics design from a UX design perspective? Today, there’s huge potential in designing applications for your hands because it has never been possible to interact so closely with a machine. With VR and AR, human machine interaction has the potential to be more natural than ever, and hand tracking adds a new dimension of interaction design. In terms of using haptic design as part of the user interaction journey, Simon shared some real-life examples: - How long should the vibration be to not create an alert effect? - What’s enough feedback so you know when you pressed a button? - How loud should the haptic feedback be? - What should the haptics feel like in combination with audio? - How should scrolling, drag and drop, and snapping feel like? “This is a call to XR designers to find new ways to make experiences more emotional, fun, explorative and human friendly, and to get out of this 2D’ish world and grab onto the new possibilities of spatial computing,” Simon said. #### Anyone can Build the Future Early in the process, Simon felt intimidated by the sheer amount of learning that was ahead of him for the wristband project. “I told myself as a designer, I’m not able to do all of this. Like learning coding and haptics.” His advice is to have a vision that you want to solve and focus on something you find cool and interesting. That way, you’ll stay inspired when you’re inevitably stuck in endless troubleshooting. Simon also shared one of his favorite quotes by Joshua Blake, Orbbec co-founder and ‘NUI Nerd. “Don’t let anyone else ever tell you that you can’t work on a technology you find cool. The only person holding you back is yourself. Make some time, take some risks. Find a way to do what you love!” In terms of hands-on implementation, Simon stated the importance of leveraging existing resources, as a way to get up to speed quickly. Specifically mentioning Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK) and the vast resources available for Unity. To learn more about his project, check out this video and stay in tune with his latest updates by following him on LinkedIn. #### The future of haptics For the time being haptics is not a topic because it is a side thing that is nice to have, but when you don’t have you feel like something is muted or missing. He is looking forward to new applications like the sharing of haptic on iphone and android to all your team and collaborate with that like a photoshop file. People can easily try it out when needed. The wristband is also a nice place to add haptics because I think smartdevices will become more and more powerful and will play a big rôle in the field of XR. As a user interface (UI) prototyper, Simon is sure that haptics will be part of XR design agencies. In the coming years there will be a big shift for designers, they will have to switch to XR and start creating XR advertising, XR game expériences and use haptic on iphone and android. Multisensory combination is a field that needs to be explored and will play a big rôle for the futur of haptics. Simon is excited to see what Facebook and Apple, already using haptic on iphone, will provide in these fields and how they implement haptics in their universe to create more immersive expériences. #### What about Simon’s future ? Simon wants to learn more and more of the XR fields, for that he will be searching for a company that is already. He is also thinking about creating medium’s article to explain his master thesis work and share all his processes and haptic design. With that it could be a nice way to share a way to create new haptic feedback design. For his basslet project, he would like to improve it by having all the connectics inside of the armband. In his opinion, a second version of the basslet focused on the XR industry could find even more success then for the music industry. #### Who is the haptics club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. #### Who is interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile haptic for iphone and android, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. ##### Don’t forget to give us your ? ! --- ### Vibrotactile Feedback for Enhancing Player Experience in Games URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/vibrotactile-feedback-for-enhancing-player-experience/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-09-14 · Category: Research & Science > This article is based on a University of Waterloo Library research. Although no work has studied the added value of haptics to player experience (PX), haptic feedback has improved experience in a number of interactive media such as mobile interfaces, virtual reality, audiovisual clips, and motion seats. This article is based on a University of Waterloo Library research. Game designers and researchers employ a sophisticated language for producing great player experiences with concepts such as juiciness, which refers to excessive positive feedback. However, much of their discourse excludes the role and value of haptic feedback. In this paper, Tanay Singhal and Oliver Schneider from the University of Waterloo, adapt terminology from game design to study haptic feedback. Specifically, haptic embellishments is defined as haptic feedback that reinforce information already provided through other means (e.g., via visual feedback). It also sets out juicy haptics as excessive positive haptic feedback with the intention of improving user experience in games and other interactive media. They report two empirical studies of users experiences interacting with visuohaptic content on their phones to study participants’ preferences for ten design principles. For haptic embellishments and measure the added value of juicy haptics, implemented as haptic embellishments, on player experience in a game. Results indicate that juicy haptics can enhance enjoyability, aesthetic appeal, immersion, and meaning. Although no work has studied the added value of haptics to player experience (PX), haptic feedback has improved experience in a number of interactive media such as mobile interfaces, virtual reality, audiovisual clips, and motion seats. Most existing work on haptics in games has focused on designing hardware or systems rather than conducting studies to measure PX. Designing haptic feedback is a challenging task for novice hapticians, in part because of the scarcity of practical guidelines on haptic design. For now, they assembled ten principles for designing HEs in multisensory experiences through iterative brainstorming and a literature review: 1- Realism : Haptic parameters such as intensity, frequency, temperature should be used to describe an object’s physical qualities. For example, low frequency vibrations communicate softness or weakness while high frequency vibrations indicate density and strength. In that case, an animation of a squishy ball bouncing should be paired with low frequency vibrations and a marble ball with high frequency feedback. 2- Staging : Design haptic feedback to draw a user’s attention to a particular object, character, or action. In visuals, this can be achieved by zooming into an object or priming it with particle effects. Similarly, haptic feedback can be used to drag the user’s attention towards a scene in animations prior to an action. 3- Anticipation : Haptics can be used to build anticipation and excitement for an upcoming action. For example, in the Apple Watch alarm, a ramp-up vibration builds anticipation for the upcoming audio feedback . In movies and animations, an example of anticipation is a baseball player character needing to swing their bat backwards before striking the ball or the eerie music in a horror movie before a jump scare. 4- Follow-Through : Use haptic feedback to communicate an animation’s after-effects. Because of inertia, objects tend to keep moving even after completing their main motion. For example, after releasing a slingshot, the elastic strips continues to vibrate, which can be emphasized through an oscillating vibration effect. 5- Slow In and Out : Objects in the real-world, such as vehicles and human bodies, rarely move at constant speed because they need time to accelerate and slow down. This principle is widely used to make smoother and more organic visual animations. Similarly, we hypothesize that vibrotactile feedback can also benefit from this principle such as in the trajectory of vibration intensity. 6- Exaggeration : Use haptic feedback to present objects and actions in a wilder, more extreme form. Take the example of an animation of a walking giant, crushing all vehicles and buildings underneath its mighty feet. Haptic feedback can communicate the giant’s ferocity by including very intense rumbles with its enormous footsteps. 7- Synchronism : When intending to play haptic feedback at the same time as other feedback, one must synchronize it as precisely as possible. It is quite unpleasant to watch a video with misaligned audio, even if only by a fraction of a second. 8- Timing : That being said, haptic feedback does not always have to play at the same time as other feedback. Experiment with different timings to build anticipation before an event or communicate followthrough effects afterwards. 9- Energy : Haptic feedback should match the energy level that an object should convey. An attention-seeking visually pulsating object pairs well with a faster-paced, more intense vibrations, and high frequency vibration. 10- Expressivity : Haptic feedback should distinctly reflect varying user input and system events. In an animation with a small pebble and large boulder falling, the associated haptic feedback should feel clearly contrasted. Beyond differences in intensity and frequency when the rocks land, also consider variations in timing and timbre. They found that haptic feedback can improve player experience, in particular the constructs of enjoyability, aesthetic appeal, immersion, meaning, and enjoyability. The objective of this study is to bring haptics to the forefront of the research on juiciness and player experience. --- ### Interhaptics: the future reference haptics standard for MPEG URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-the-future-reference-haptics-standard-for-mpeg/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-09-07 · Category: Industry Insight > MPEG chooses Interhaptics' encoding and architecture as the basis for the future haptics standard due to its superior perceptual performance. Standards implementation will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete, and those who are leading the effort will be market leaders. Overview: Interhaptics is at the center of a breakout point for the Haptics market. MPEG chooses Interhaptics encoding and architecture as the basis for the future standard of haptics due to its best perceptual performances. Standards implementation will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete, and those who are leading the effort will be a market leader in the years to come. Interhaptics is engaging on multiple levels of the Haptics market to maximize standards adoptions and launch a global haptic ecosystem. Engage with us today to maximize Haptics ROI and future performance. This blog post follows the previous publications on haptics standard. In audio and video, encoding standards are the core around which the industry’s value chain is modeled. Standards are the common language that industry players use to communicate. They ensure a seamless experience for the end user despite the platform used. In short, they increase the Total Addressable Market of an ecosystem and ensure a higher ROI for players along the value chain. For both audio and video, accepted encoding standards are the cornerstone around which Upstream (to designers and content creators) and Downstream (to system implementation, APIs, and hardware) push for standardization and consolidation. A practical example: without video and audio standards, you can’t have the Adobe company. It is of paramount importance that industry and platform actors are involved in setting standard needs and assessing them. Industry players will be the ones to support the adoption of the new standard “language” within their platform and ensure an addressable initial market for upstream and downstream operators. A coding standard built by universities without industry acceptance would not be used primarily and would remain an exercise. ##### Who issues a standard? The largest and most respected standardization body is ISO (International Organization for Standardization). MPEG (Motion Pictures Expert Group) is part of ISO and historically issues the most widely adopted encoding standard for digital media. Some well-known examples are MP3 or AAC for audio formatting. ##### What does a MPEG standard adress? MPEG standardizes the encoding format for the digital media, the software to create this digital encoding, and the software to decode it. ##### How is the haptic market today and how will it evolve towards a market similar to that of audio and video? The haptic market is now divided into separate technology silos, while the video and audio markets have interoperable levels with cornerstones around digital standards. This difference is even more striking for multisensory experiences such as video and VR experiences. These experiences can be delivered seamlessly through network communication with great fidelity, while haptic is not even encapsulated within encoding formats. The transition from the left structure of the value chain, towards a functioning tactile ecosystem such as audio and video, will go through several steps. ##### Where is the haptics standardization process today? Two important milestones were achieved in October 2021 and Interhaptics is at the heart of them. The first milestone is the near future of Haptics as a first-order media type, giving Haptics the same status as Audio and Video in the technological landscape. This means that haptic files can be encapsulated to be delivered with audio and video format in standardized MPEG media. This is the 1st step to deliver content adoption. This means that your streaming service can contain a haptics track included in the current MPEG formalism. The second milestone was the issuing from MPEG of the Reference Model 0 — RM0 of haptics encoding. The RM0 is the base format upon which the final haptic encoding standard will be issued. The success of the haptics standard depends on the adoption of the standard by the industry players. This comes down to who wrote the specifications. The RM0 was issued following a Call for Proposal issued by MPEG. Several companies submitted their technology proposal, and a challenging selection process indicated the best technology candidate for the RM0. Among the sponsors and judges of the Haptics Call for Proposal were: – Apple – Sony – Immersion – Interdigital Apple owns the largest haptics platform in the world, the iPhone. Sony is a leading innovator in Haptics with the Dual sense controller of PS5, and a big player in the XR world with the PSVR. Immersion is the historical major player in haptics technologies. Interdigital is an IP technological company with major IP and technologies in video compression and 3D scenes. No better sponsor existed to kickstart the adoption of the MPEG standard. Interhaptics will be the technology platform upon which the RM0 will be built. Interhaptics has demonstrated superior technology both in perceptual rendering fidelity, signal compression, and platforms compatibility. All this is both for vibrotactile and kinesthetic feedback. Our encoding standard will be wrapped in a compatibility layer based on the proposal of other contributors to ensure future compatibility with 3D scenes and specific high-performance profiles. Interhaptics owns IP in both the form of patents and fundamental software to enable the implementation of these technologies in the Haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics’ proposal is the basis of RM0 and is a game-changer – It is 100 % compatible with Apple AHAP format – Perfectly transcode the Immersion IVS format, the basis of the implementation of many smartphones – It connects with Sony’s dual sense multi-channel needs, both for force feedback (adaptive triggers) and for the wide band haptic voice coil. – It has by far the best compression technology that paves the way for multiple actuators haptics for XR. (Nanoport partnership: https://bit.ly/3oqdZ3B)(Saarland University partnership: https://bit.ly/3bRT6rW)(Syntouch partnership: https://bit.ly/3kgqBJk) – It is based on perceptual encoding, which can be easily expanded for extended reality ##### What are the next steps? Interhaptics and other contributors to the RM0 will provide a working software reference model for MPEG 137 scheduled for January 2022. The model will undergo several rigorous tests to ensure its quality and reliability for the Core Experiment phase to finally deliver a first commercial version of the standard shortly. ##### How is adoption going? Apple: Through the Interhaptics mobile package Interhaptics is embedded with the iPhone platform. Guaranteeing that the largest haptics platform in the world is supported. Android: Through the Interhaptics mobile package Interhaptics is supporting the Android ecosystem and the large family of haptics APIs XR Ecosystem: Interhaptics works with many haptics OEMs to enable advanced and complex multichannel haptics pushing the future of haptics implementation. One of them is Senseglove, one of the leading haptics device manufacturers for XR. The platform at the basis of the haptics standards is ready to support the next generation use cases. (https://bit.ly/3BWaxlV) With Interhaptics, haptics finally has a solid foundation on which to build a scalable future. ##### Upstream and Downstream Ecosystem Status Upstream is focused on designers and developer-related tools. Downstream are APIs and communication protocols. Upstream: Interhaptics develops and delivers Interhaptics packages for content creators and designers. Interhaptics offers a broad set of tools to enable standard adoptions. Some of them are: - Haptic Composer enables the creation of standard-compliant haptics assets. We will soon release Haptics Composer 2.0 according to our Roadmap. - Haptics and interaction SDK for Unity. The SDK is compatible with the upcoming standard and allows a creator to create haptics-enabled applications in just a few clicks. Downstream: The adoption of the standards downstream lies in compatibility with platform APIs and communication protocols. Interhaptics is a Board Member of the Haptics industry Forum and Chair of the XR haptics working group. We are actively developing and shaping the strategy of the association towards an open and vibrant haptics ecosystem. The engaging activities are: – Open XR: Interhaptics is the representative with Immersion corporation for the shared working group between HIF — XR haptics and Open XR. The stated reason for this liaison is to help Open XR manage haptics APIs. – UHP — Universal Haptics Protocol: HIF will submit a USB haptics protocol building on the simple haptics controller protocol enabling a series of haptics primitives for wide band and HD haptics. Interhaptics is among the authors of this protocol and guarantees the compatibility of the haptics asset with it through proprietary technology. – IEEE P2861.3 There will be shortly an update on the relations with this working group and how Interhaptics includes this activity in their roadmap. With these downstream adoption activities, Interhaptics is ensuring and maximizing the adoption of the standard by ecosystem players. The whole HIF industry association works for the standard adoption, and it supports the effort of the ecosystem to grow. ##### Key standard technologies owned by Interhaptics Check the next figures to see which future standard-compliant assets Interhaptics is ready to market. ##### Key opportunity today Interhaptics is at the center of a breakout point for the Haptics markets. Standards will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete and those who are driving this market penetration will be the haptics leader for the years to come. Partner with us to take your haptics skills and abilities to the next level. Eric Vezzoli: ev@interhaptics.com Reference MPEG Press Release: https://www.mpegstandards.org/meetings/mpeg-136/ Reference Haptics Industry Forum: https://hapticsif.org/standards/ --- ### The Quest for VR Immersion with Hrafn Thorisson (Haptics Club #8) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-quest-for-vr-immersion-with-hrafn-thorisson-haptics-club-8/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-08-23 · Category: Haptics Club > Hrafn Thorisson has worked in the field of virtual reality (VR) experiences since 2013. The aim was, and is, to create a believable experience of being somewhere. The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who are Hrafn Thorisson and Aldin Dynamics? Hrafn Thorisson has worked in the field of virtual reality (VR) experiences since 2013. The aim was, and is, to create a believable experience of being somewhere. According to him, it is not just about putting the player “inside” the game but also making the game more like reality. It requires a lot of precision regarding mechanics, audio, and haptics so that all these factors are seamlessly working together to create a smooth experience. It is all about making our fantasies become real. Aldin Dynamics is an Icelandic VR software company founded in early 2013, focused on creating believable virtual reality experiences and technologies to sustain presence and immersion. Since its founding, the Aldin team has passionately worked towards capturing experiences that are only possible in VR in ways that entertain and inspire diverse audiences. ##### How did you come up with this project? Hrafn Thorisson has had an intense interest in virtual reality (VR), specifically since he was a kid. He thought it was a way to commercially accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) and take the game a step further. Thanks to these experiences, the glass of the screen separating the player from the game was broken. When Oculus came along, it was the perfect timing and the “spark” for him and his co-founder to dive into the world of virtual reality (VR). ##### What are the challenges behind the creation of an immersive VR game? The development of the game strongly relies on haptic feedback. The two main thoughts were the immersion factor and the utility. It involves bringing something interactive to the user. The locomotion system was also a big challenge because, in these types of experiences, people can easily feel sick when their brain feels like it is moving, but their body is not. One of the key goals was to make the user’s moves look like they are in reality. The first users’ feedback was that they were unable to tell when they were jumping. The solution was to add haptic feedback effects, and after that, there were no more complaints. It can seem trivial, but the addition of haptics changed it all. ##### The key is subtlety The key to a successful immersive VR experience is subtlety, especially and equally when it comes to haptic feedback and audio. It needs to be wisely used and have a broader range of types of haptics rather than wanting to make it as intense as it can be. Just because users do not talk about it or ask for it doesn’t mean that it’s not crucial. Sometimes, you can add haptic feedback to an immersive VR experience, and people will not necessarily notice it or point it out. They will feel the experience has noticeably improved without realizing precisely where it comes from. This is when you know that subtlety is key, efficient enough to make a difference, but discreet enough to blend into the experience smoothly, with the visuals and the sound effects. ##### How has hand-tracking changed the creation of an immersive VR experience? The one way to truly feel the difference is to try out the same experience with and without haptic feedback and hand-tracking. It makes a lot of sense, especially for muscle fatigue, to give you the alert that you are squeezing or grabbing something. Some great initiatives are going on, especially like the one from the previous event, LucidVR gloves. ##### The future of haptics In the next 15 years, Hrafn Thorisson is quite convinced that the natural hand will be the dominant input for virtual reality (VR). It is important because it is the natural form of interacting with reality. To many people, controllers can be a bit intimidating, and the number of things that can be done with just the hand is immense. However, the neuro-haptics subject remains an unexplored field and might be interesting to watch as it evolves. ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### The Process to Design Haptics: Integration Workflow URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-process-to-design-haptics-integration-workflow/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-08-12 · Category: Industry Insight > This article will cover the workflow that product managers should follow when considering haptics within their VR application. This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. This article will cover the workflow that product managers should follow when considering haptics within their VR application. One of the most important aspects to keep in mind is the objective of the haptics implementation within the product. This objective should drive the implementation of all the scenarios. Workflows can be divided into two parts: - First, the implementation of a custom scenario including haptics in the design phase. - Second, the upgrade of an existing scenario with haptics. ##### Custom Scenario A custom scenario refers to the complete creation of a haptics use case from scratch. In this case, haptics is included in the design phase, and the scenario can maximize the value of this technology for the specific use case. ###### Use case and haptics objectives In this phase, the objectives of the use case are clearly defined. One of the key aspects is to define the haptics objectives following the structure shared within the use case description. For example, developing haptics to enhance realism might prevent us from leveraging the same technology to increase user experience. It is similar to VR graphic content: maximum scenario realism might prevent portability on standalone headsets. The best advice is to focus on a subset of objectives and measure the success of implementing these metrics. ###### Scenario definition Document and clarify the scenario expectations for the final user starting from the use case objectives. In this phase, the haptics objectives are translated in the scenario as haptics descriptions for the specific interactions or events. Key decision to perform or documents to deliver: - Use case scenario ###### General requirements In this stage, the scenario is translated into a budget and technical requirements to meet the use case expectations. Key decision or documents to deliver: - Budget definition - High-level technical requirements ###### The development environment and hardware device choice Choice of the development environment and hardware (HW) device. The implementation of haptics within VR content is maturing rapidly. However, it is important to carefully evaluate the HW capabilities and the development environment to ensure the success of the use case. Virtual reality HW and development environments are pretty much interchangeable. However, that is not yet the case in haptics, even if efforts in that direction are being pursued. Key decision to be delivered: - Development environment/3D engines choice (Unity, Unreal, others) - Haptics design/development framework choice - VR hardware choice - Haptics hardware choice ###### Software architecture Technical document with the software architecture of the final solution. Key decisions or documents to be delivered: - Build or Buy - Architecture document ###### 3D Design and haptics iterative process The implementation of the interactive case happens at this stage. 3D models, colliders, interactions, and haptics go through an iterative process to optimize the final result based on the use case and haptics objectives. ###### Multimodal integration Here, visual and sound design happens. Both are built in parallel to the interactive scenario to deliver the final experience. ###### QA Review and testing of the experience. ###### User/Customer evaluation Presentation of the final result to the customer. ##### Existing Product This is referring to the upgrade of an existing VR product to a haptics experience. ###### Haptics objectives In this initial phase, the objective of the upgrade to a haptics experience should be clarified and stated based on the framework of the use cases reported in the document. ###### General requirements In this stage, the scenario is translated into a budget and technical requirements to meet the use case expectations. Key decisions or documents to deliver: - Budget definition - High-level technical requirements ###### Hardware device choice The implementation of haptics within VR content is maturing rapidly. However, it is important to dedicate a careful evaluation of HW capabilities and the development environment to ensure the success of the use case. Virtual reality hardware and development environments are pretty much interchangeable. However, this is not yet the case in haptics, even if efforts in that direction are being pursued. Key decision to be delivered: - VR hardware choice - Haptics hardware choice ###### Architecture and input The architecture/development analysis is a necessary study to validate that the chosen haptics device fits within the product framework. The input system evaluation and adaptation are needed to upgrade logical input mediated by controller buttons, with hand/finger tracking input mediated by software metaphors or physics engines. It should be noted that haptics devices relying only on output such as Woojer or others do not require the input analysis activity because they do not replace the input system of the product. Key decision to be delivered: - Build or Buy - Haptics/Interaction development framework choice ###### 3D Design and haptics iterative process The implementation of the interactive case happens at this stage. 3D models, colliders, interactions, and haptics go through an iterative process to optimize the final result based on the use case and haptics objectives. ###### QA Review and testing of the experience. ###### User/Customer evaluation Presentation of the final result to the customer. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback to your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us. --- ### The Open-Source Quest for Touch in VR with Lucas De Bonet (Haptics Club #7) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-open-source-quest-for-touch-in-vr-with-lucas-de-bonet-haptics-club-7/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-08-09 · Category: Haptics Club > Lucas De Bonet has been working on a “Do It Yourself” VR haptic glove project for fun, and it got a lot of attention on the internet. The will to make VR haptic gloves accessible and affordable for everybody is what made him go into VR haptics. Therefore, he decided to build it by himself. The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who are Lucas De Bonet and LucidVR? Lucas De Bonet has been working on a “Do It Yourself” VR haptic glove project for fun, and it got a lot of attention on the internet. The will to make VR haptic gloves accessible and affordable for everybody is what made him go into VR haptics. Therefore, he decided to build it by himself. After the huge success online, he decided to do it not just for himself but for everybody. He made it open-source and came up with four different prototypes. After the success of his project on social media, Lucas was offered an internship position by Contact CI. Currently, the VR haptic gloves market is mainly enterprise-oriented, and by creating an open-source project, Lucas De Bonet is opening it to a broader audience. ##### How does the community respond to this project? Most of Lucas’s community is more gaming-oriented than haptic-oriented. His end goal is to get the gloves working in the gaming environment. The finger-tracking is already compatible with most games on the SteamVR platform. However, the haptic feedback will be slightly more challenging. Overall, the communities are positive and quite excited about being able to extend their haptics experience. ##### How do you make sure to meet people’s expectations regarding the haptic feedback experience in itself? Very few demos have been organized for people to try Lucas’s gloves, mostly because of the sanitary situation. The main aspect of haptics with the fourth prototype is the force feedback on each finger. It can restrict your hands’ position and tilt back at your fingers a little bit. The objective is to explore the possibilities of the haptics field even more by adding more features from the community. ##### How do the haptic gloves work? When you open and close your fingers, the spool rotates, and it has a little screw sticking out and rotating left and right. This is the part that is blocked out when needed to produce the haptic feedback and feel the sensations related to the experience. The screw also rotates backward enough to make you feel that something is pushing against it without creating any pain. ##### What are the key experiences targeted by this project? A lot of different VR games involve picking up and throwing objects or using them in a particular way, and it brings the experience to a whole other level being able to feel the actual curvature of the object in your hand, thanks to haptic feedback and not just grabbing it using the finger tracking. Another great example is shooter games. When you pull the trigger, you can physically close your index finger to pull it. ##### The future of LucidVR The main goal is to get people involved in the creation of VR materials. Many soon-to-be engineers are interested in developing and building these designs and want to understand what companies are doing to make them more accessible. This is the way to move forward in this industry. It would be the greatest accomplishment to give people who cannot afford these technologies the opportunity to work on them.https://www.wyvrn.com/media/1d19cb6eade925241729bb6a8617bc6c All the resources and guides are publicly available, and Lucas started a YouTube Tutorial series to show the full process. ##### Advice on how to leverage social media to grow online communities Lucas started by creating Tik Tok videos, and this is how he was able to build interest and grow a community around his project. The big part of growing a community is finding your appropriate audience who would be excited by your content. It was quite easy to build interest in “Cheap VR gloves” because people were willing to try some after watching Ready Player One. They would not have had the chance to otherwise. After figuring out who your audience is, you need to determine how to reach out to it. ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Touching over the Screen: Matching Haptic Rendering with Product Tactile Cues URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/touching-over-the-screen-matching-haptic-rendering-with-product-tactile-cues/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-08-05 · Category: Research & Science > In our newly published research into Technology Forecasting and Social Change with Sonia Capelli and Jessica Lichy, we conducted an exploratory study to investigate the effect of interface touch (i.e., haptic rendering stimulation) in relation to product tactile cues for consumer product evaluation and purchase intention. Based on: Racat, M, Capelli, S and Lichy, J (2021) “New insights into ‘technologies of touch’: Information processing in product evaluation and purchase intention”, Technology Forecasting and Social Change. The development of tactile interfaces such as tablets and smartphones has made touch a central sense for understanding information delivered over the Internet. Online navigation is done by touch and, although it is not directly related to what is displayed on the screen, research shows that the simple fact of using a touch interface and thus stimulating the sense of touch with the interface, changes the perception that consumers have of the product presented. Moreover, marketing academics have shown the importance of touch in physical and virtual environments: enabling touching products in-store, for instance, leads in general to higher purchase rates and consumers live better experiences. In online environments, stimulating touch tends to lead to the same results: consumers’ attitude and purchase intention increase whether the tactile stimulation relates to the product’s tactile properties or not. In our newly published research into Technology Forecasting and Social Change with Sonia Capelli and Jessica Lichy, we conducted an exploratory study to investigate the effect of interface touch (i.e., haptic rendering stimulation) in relation to product tactile cues for consumer product evaluation and purchase intention. We first tested the effect of haptic rendering stimulation fit with the product tactile cues by manipulating the presence/absence of haptic rendering, with a design based on haptic imagery to help consumers visualize its properties and use. Second, we stimulated the respondents’ sense of touch through an interface rendering two distinct haptic stimulations; then compared situations in which the product texture matched or did not match the texture of the haptic rendering stimulation. We show that haptic rendering stimulation enhances consumer purchase intention and augment perceived sensory similarity. Consumers also tend to process the texture of the screen as information for purchasing and technology becomes a source of information for decision-making. Finally, the instrumental need for touch moderates the effect of haptic rendering on perceived similarity, meaning that consumers relying more on their sense of touch for purchasing tend to discriminate better the different tactile stimulations offered via the interface. This preliminary research was exploratory and used non-technology-based haptic rendering. Yet, the findings enable to envision future haptic applications for consumption especially for fashion and all product with intrinsic tactile properties as texture. Therefore in collaboration with Interhaptics and dr. Eric Vezzoli, we currently aim to extend these findings by actually testing haptic rendering techniques for texture aiming to related to a specific product texture. By doing so, we are implementing a set of experiments that will enable us to further investigate how consumers perceived virtual textures and if and how they actually connect them to the product they interact with virtually. We will run these experiments on commercial smartphones leveraging the technology present in everyone pocket to test our hypothesis. The objective is to measure the real impact of haptics rendering real world scenario. Margot Racat holds a Ph.D. in Marketing from the University of Lyon. She is a professor at IDRAC Business School (France). Her research focuses mainly on issues related to sensory influence, especially touch, on information processing in marketing contexts (e.g. mediated environments, customer experience) and management (e.g. entrepreneurial decision making in extreme contexts). She particularly gives interest to computer-mediated (i.e., haptic interfaces) and virtual environments for consumption and knowledge transfer. She publishes her work as articles and books (Journal of Interactive Marketing, Management International, French Management Review, French Marketing Journal, Palgrave MacMillan, …). Sonia Capelli holds a Ph.D. in marketing from Grenoble University and is a Full Professor at IAE Lyon — Magellan Research center, University of Lyon. Her research focuses on communication (business, social, politics, territorial, etc.) and consumer behavior (psychology, sensory research, etc.). She publishes her work in academic and managerial journals (Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Product and Brand Management, Psychology and Marketing, Public Management Review, Research and Applications in Marketing…). Jessica Lichy has an MBA and Ph.D. in online/digital consumer behavior, adopting an inter-generation and cross-cultural approach. She is employed as a research professor at IDRAC Business School (France) besides working at international partner universities as a research-active visiting professor. Her research interests include digital transformation from an end-user perspective. Research-in-progress includes tracing evolution in the consumption of social technologies and trends in technology-enhanced living. Eric Vezzoli holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Lille University. He designed the haptics architecture of Interhaptics, lead a team of engineers, and product-marketing to the launch of the Interhaptics Haptics Composer: the first multiplatform Haptics Design tool on the market. He co-founded Go Touch VR exploring skin indentation technologies for haptics applications in VR. Eric was the CTO of Hap2u in charge of the software team designing the rendering stack to drive surface haptics technologies at full capabilities. He published 20 + scientific papers on haptics and human-machine interactions and deposed 5 patents on haptics technologies and applications. --- ### Haptics Use Cases and Applications in VR: Assistive URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-use-cases-and-applications-in-vr-assistive/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-08-02 · Category: Industry Insight > Find out how the experts at the Haptics industry forum perceive the possibilities of using haptics and what it can bring to VR Assisstive projects. This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. ##### What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a VR assistive solution? The goals of these use cases are typically to influence or generate a measurable improvement in patient responses to standard measures. Measures can include physiological improvements such as reduced heart rate, anxiety, etc., task-related improvements such as task completion times, error rates, etc., or other miscellaneous measures such as therapy duration. ● Reducing costs. A well-designed VR experience can enable unsupervised training. The virtual training task should be clear and self-explanatory. In that way, multiple patients can train in groups or at home with just the guidance of one physical therapist. ● Increased engagement. VR can help increase the engagement of patients in their therapy. It can be adaptive to the challenge of the patient, providing a challenging but achievable goal. Also, the knowledge of being monitored increases therapy compliance. ● Improved insights. VR therapy can increase the level of insight on progress and performances within the physical rehabilitation process. ##### What are the key values to adopt a VR assistive solution? The specific role of haptics varies materially by use case, but generally speaking, it can have the following values: ● Generation of force/resistance for muscular training/rehabilitation use cases. Broadly speaking, increasing the resistance in a training bicycle is a type of haptics; moreover, this can be associated with a virtual reality experience. ● Generation of error feedback for body pose, task progression, or other training/rehabilitation-specific measures. Posture correcting yoga pants (e.g., wearable) in conjunction with a VR yoga class is an example use. Note that the haptic feedback can be automatic or triggered by a coach/trainer in this scenario. ● Generation of increased immersion. Similar to other broad use cases, haptics are known to increase the immersive quality of a virtual reality experience. This can be valuable for training or entertainment-driven assistive use cases. For example, providing content-synchronized feedback for non-ambulatory users (e.g., in a hospital bed) can increase the quality and duration of the engagement. ##### Why should you include haptics in your VR assistive solution? Generally speaking, assistive haptic feedback needs to consider these key points: ● Safety. Devices that generate forces on users need to be engineered so that they cannot cause injury due to inadvertent use. For rehabilitation use cases, this consideration is particularly important as users may have non-normal ranges of motion, sensitivity, etc. If possible, users and practitioners should be empowered to reduce/eliminate the haptic feedback in real-time to allow for individual variation. ● Consistency. In order to use haptics to generate precise, measurable outcomes, the haptic feedback must have a maximum amount of consistency both from use to use and from installation to installation. For body-mounted feedback, careful consideration should be paid to fit consistency, including having multiple sizes or specific criteria for appropriate body size considerations. ● Perceptibility. In addition to consistency, haptic feedback needs to both be noticeable and provide the appropriate dynamic range of sensation. This is particularly relevant to error-driven haptic feedback. If the specific use case involves vigorous physical activity, haptic sensations typically need to be stronger but may also need to be carefully designed to disambiguate them from other scenario-related stimuli. Overly complex haptic signaling can increase cognitive load and confusion. ● Expressivity. Haptic devices need to be able to provide a sufficient perceptible range of experience so that users can correctly interpret the stimuli. Basic body-mounted error feedback may only need 1-bit of expressivity (on/off), whereas an error measure that indicates the quantity of the error may require many more bits. ● Wearability. Virtual reality rehabilitation needs to match therapy or reimbursement budgets. The haptics device used for these applications should be easy to wear, comfortable, and should not impede users’ natural movements. ● Embodiment. The ideal haptic device should be transparent while not interacting and perfectly reproduce reality while interacting with VR. The ease of use in putting on and removing is key for rehabilitation. System developers should optimize transparency given their budget constraints. ● Scalability (hours of use, number of deployments, etc.). One of the key aspects to consider when thinking about haptics in VR is the origin of scalability. Do you need repeatability of the same content on different premises (for instance clinical therapy)? Or would you like to target hundreds if not thousands of users (home-based rehabilitation)? Both scenarios have different needs and requirements that can be addressed by different haptics devices. ● Reliability. A haptic system should be reliable. It should always work especially in home-based environments where no specialist is available to debug a potential problem. ##### Which haptics characteristics should you optimize while designing your content and choosing your haptics device? ● Security. Assistive virtual reality use cases deal with patient data which is a regulated area and requires specific management. ● Cognition. Virtual reality is a technology that might not fit the cognitive state of some patients. ##### Overview of VR assistive use case Assistive use cases relate to health and wellness, rehabilitation, and other typically therapeutic or clinical uses to improve patient outcomes. This area is relatively nascent in terms of haptics but does provide some novel considerations relative to the use and value of haptic feedback. Virtual reality technologies are used within rehabilitation processes for impaired patients. Virtual reality is used to target specific movements, or to subject the patient to specific stimuli to accelerate recovery. In 2020, the United States Defense Health Agency awarded a contract to HaptX and others to develop a haptics-based training system to improve the skills of U.S. Army fighters who administer emergency trauma care on the battlefield. The contract funded HaptX and its partners Engineering & Computer Simulations and Mayo Clinic to integrate the true-contact haptics of HaptX Gloves with the Army’s Tactical Casualty Combat Care (TC3) environment. For many years, TC3 used VR to teach soldiers to perform airway management, access vascular systems, apply tourniquets, and more. But without realistic touch feedback, trainees were only able to learn abstract procedural steps and were unable to naturally practice key skills and physical interactions. This contract funded research and development to improve the quality and retention of training with the goal of saving more lives on the battlefield. Customer Goals: Skills transfer, increased training effectiveness Haptic Technologies Used: The project incorporated multiple HaptX Gloves DK2 systems. These gloves maximize realism by combining high-fidelity tactile feedback which displaces skin up to 2 mm, variable force feedback delivering up to 40lbs of resistive force per hand, and electromagnetic finger tracking. Role of Haptics: The developers of this project applied haptic effects to the virtual interactions to enable trainees to physically feel and practice the training program’s dexterous manual motions. These interactions included grasping and using supplies, feeling correct locations on the patient’s body, turning the patient’s body, and more. Haptics enabled the developers to achieve the project’s core mission of advancing training through improved manual interfacing with the environment. Outcome: The Army is midway through the project and will report its findings upon completion. Initial feedback has been positive. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback to your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us here. --- ### What the Future Holds for the Haptics Market with James Hayward (Haptics Club #6) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/what-the-future-holds-for-the-haptics-market-with-james-hayward-haptics-club-6/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-29 · Category: Haptics Club > The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who are James Hayward and IDTechEx? James Hayward is a Principal Analyst at IDTechEx. Since 1999, IDTechEx has provided independent market research, business intelligence, and events on emerging technologies to clients in 80 countries. The aim is to help their clients make strategic business decisions and grow their organizations. This means that he is responsible for scouting, quantifying, and characterizing markets and technologies and how they are evolving. He started as an analyst of electronic components and then studied projects around haptics integration for displays around 2014–2015. After that, he became interested in this niche area and what is happening in this market. ##### What are the biggest trends of the haptics market? The key aspect is to look at trends in different areas: - Hardware: which types of actuators are becoming more popular, the types of sensations they are enabling, and how that represents an opportunity for the market - Integration: core haptics, how haptic feedback is integrated into the actuators, multiple actuators within one device, mechanical buttons replaced with haptics - Surface haptics: display with a touch screen, how touch feedback can be replicated to transmit a certain type of feedback ##### What are the current ways to keep yourself updated on the haptics market and industry? Until recently, it was quite difficult to find information, for example, as a podcast. It is important to listen to experts, even if you do not understand everything they are saying, to get to know the acronyms, the vocabulary, etc. Demos are also a very efficient way to get insights if you have the opportunity to see one. Of course, the pandemic has affected how to describe and showcase haptics, but it is important to try and stay in contact with the field as much as possible. ##### What were some of the biggest founds from your research in haptics? There are two sides to the challenge. First to collect the information, and second for the developers to get these products into the market. For the newer type of actuator, it’s particularly important to manage how quickly they can be scaled and to keep margins in line. It is really easy to get caught in the enthusiasm of this research because it is a field with very fast and wide-ranging innovations. However, it is important to keep in mind the actual objective: to create competitive actuators and provide the awaited haptic feedback to people. ##### Could you give some advice to someone willing to start a business in the haptics field? James Hayward believes one of the key aspects is understanding the value chain. Because no company can do all of the haptics. It is important to identify your allies, suppliers, and competitors to know exactly where you are in the value chain and the existing partner ecosystem. ##### The future of haptics According to James Hayward, 2021 is a critical year for innovation in the haptics field because of the new releases. One of the key challenges is smartphones. The growth in smartphone sales is now insufficient, so there will need to be more focus on the quality of haptic feedback in smartphones. It will also be crucial to catching the improvements in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Haptics Use Cases and Applications in VR: Tele-existence/Tele-robotics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-use-cases-and-applications-in-vr-tele-existence-tele-robotics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-26 · Category: Industry Insight > In this article, you will discover how haptics brings value to this type of project and the different use cases where haptic feedback is applied to tele-existence/telerobotics experiences. This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. ##### What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a tele-existence/tele-robotics solution? ● Reduce risks. When dealing with dangerous scenarios like CBRNE or dangerous maintenance tasks, exposing a robot to such danger is ethically more responsible than exposing a human to it. ● Skill teleportation. Using a robot as a personal avatar, a human may impart their expertise through the robot at a remote location or a location that is difficult to access through the human form without mechanical assistance. ● Increase efficiency. Telerobotics allows humans to avoid dangerous, distant, and dirty environments. It also allows human expertise to be transmitted through the telerobot, potentially eliminating the need for travel while still providing a sense of first-person interaction and expertise through the robot. ##### What are the key values to adopt a tele-existence/tele-robotics solution? There are several key values to including haptics in your tele-existence/tele-robotics solutions: ● Increased realism. Haptic feedback from the telerobot to the human provides a greater sense of realism embodied in the robot, a greater sense of dexterity, and proprioceptive presence to the human through the robot. The familiarity of natural movement and tasks conducted through haptic feedback act as confirming sensations for working on the task and its completion. ● Increased performance. Using telerobotics/telepresence, one person can be present in many geographically dispersed environments through the deployed robotic avatar. This person’s expertise and know-how are conveyed through the telerobot, enabling the robot to complete the task with the expert’s ability. ● Provide safety and control. Eliminating first-person exposure to dangerous situations or environments, haptic feedback through robotic sensors provides real-time feedback and a natural human interface for task completion with high levels of confidence and familiarity with the conduct of the telerobotic avatar. ##### Why should you include haptics in your tele-existence/tele-robotics solution? Here are three reasons why you should add haptic feedback to your tele-existence/tele-robotics solution: ● Realism: Tele existence is well served by realistic haptics sensation to optimize the remote control of the robot. Haptics realism should be actively pursued, and it is a critical item for success. ● Safety: Remotely controlling robots implies potential safety risks for the users. Therefore, the haptics implementation should put user safety first and avoid any haptic feedback above the user tolerance. ● Integration: The integration in an external robotic system is challenging and requires a specialized approach. ##### Overview of tele-existence/tele-robotics use case Tele-existence is the ability to reproduce human capabilities in another physical avatar. Tele-existence is advantageous in dangerous situations/environments, sterile environments, and geographically distant locations. The advantages of tele-existence are the ability for real-time expertise, interactions, and oversight. This can vary from CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high yield Explosives) to maintenance and medical use cases. Tele-existence systems may consist of at least two of three technological components: - The ability to reproduce visual and audio information; is usually referred to as telepresence or tele-existence. - The ability to create mobility, which is referred to as locomotion. - The ability to convey tactile transfer and physical interaction between the robot and the human. The human controls the robot’s actions, and the robot responds according to the human’s actions and conveys tactile sensation to the human. Another example of a use case is transforming education and history research with haptics. The research aims to explore how haptic technologies combined with VR can better engage viewers in the museum and heritage sectors. Customer Goals: Product/experience insights. Haptic Technologies Used: SenseGlove DK1 and virtual reality headset. Role of Haptics: Realism, immersion, user experience. Outcome: “The haptics spark the potential to revive how we interact, communicate, and preserve ceramic artifacts long term. This innovative way of interaction reinvents the way we communicate history, aids interpretation, and increases visitor engagement,” according to Emma Fallows, a researcher at Staffordshire University. Early tests have also shown that VR with haptics may become a popular option for preserving ancient artifacts via a digitized archive. The project is a currently active four-year Ph.D. study. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback to your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us here. --- ### INTERHAPTICS ROADMAP URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-roadmap/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-22 · Category: Product Update > The haptic community has spoken and we heard loud and clear. We keep improving and growing Interhaptics to best fit the needs of all the VR, AR, MR, Mobile, and Console content creators. The haptic community has spoken and we heard loud and clear. We keep improving and growing Interhaptics to best fit the needs of all the VR, AR, MR, Mobile, and Console content creators. Here is the roadmap for the current and upcoming Interhaptics projects. This is updated on a monthly basis with all the new exciting features and updates. ##### Upcoming & Latest releases - Haptic Composer 2.0: a new version of the Haptic Composer tool, a graphical tool to create amazing haptic feedback. The launch will include new features like haptics to audio, and audio to haptics. It will also offer the opportunity to design high-definition haptic feedback. The release is for october.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Haptics for Mobile and AR, Interhaptics for Academics. - Interaction Builder new features: this low code plugin for 3D engines allowing you to develop realistic hand interactions in a few clicks will be updated with new grabbing features and new snapping features. The new features are available since yesterday, check it out here. Download it on Unity Asset Store for Oculus and on our website for all other devices.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Hand Tracking for VR and MR, Interhaptics for Academics. ##### Partnerships & Alliances - SenseGlove: The main objective of this collaboration is to streamline the haptic design process for exoskeleton gloves, by integrating SenseGlove DK-1 and SenseGlove Nova to Interhaptics.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Hand Tracking for VR and MR, Interhaptics for Academics. - Sensory: The major point of this partnership is to work side by side to streamline the creation of hand-tracking interactions for VRFree gloves.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Hand Tracking for VR and MR, Interhaptics for Academics.MANUS: The aim of this alliance is to provide high-end finger tracking gloves for Motion Capture and VR, as well as high-fidelity haptic feedback, by integrating the MANUS Prime X Haptic VR gloves with Interhaptics.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Hand Tracking for VR and MR, Interhaptics for Academics. - MANUS: The aim of this alliance is to provide high-end finger tracking gloves for Motion Capture and VR, as well as high-fidelity haptic feedback, by integrating the MANUS Prime X Haptic VR gloves with Interhaptics.The packages updated will be Haptics for VR and MR, Hand Tracking for VR and MR, Interhaptics for Academics. --- ### Temporal, dynamic, and interactive nature of multisensory perception with Massimiliano di Luca (Haptics Club #5) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/temporal-dynamic-and-interactive-nature-of-multisensory-perception-with-massimiliano-di-luca/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-19 · Category: Haptics Club > Massimiliano di Luca is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham with a scientific background. He is working on understanding how humans interact with information coming from different sources. The Haptics Club is an Open community for #Haptics. It was founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. There is an event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who is Massimiliano di Luca? Massimiliano di Luca is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham with a scientific background. He is working on understanding how humans interact with information coming from different sources. To conduct this study, he uses physics, as well as signal and data analysis, in order to try and develop a model about interactions. He compares his work to an equation or a program that can be predicted. ##### When did you start working on haptics? His Ph.D. was a real vision because during a conference on vision science about 3D motion he realized that this study about all this information going to the user were computer graphics, meaning only moving pictures. And he was intrigued by the way it was going to be used for the purpose of the study. It was necessary to go beyond these insights. People had to manipulate because we, as humans, never interact passively with our surrounding world. ##### How can haptics bring value to VR locomotion? First, we need to understand that there is not only one locomotion method in VR, in fact, there 130. Then, we need to determine which ones are the most appropriate for some specific tasks (training, accessibility, etc). There is the possibility to provide true haptics. The question is: can you provide haptics in an automatized way, to be used for navigation, or orientation for example. It is something that is not fully explored because not well understood. There is still a lot to be studied. ##### What is the role of haptics in multisensory interactions? The term “hierarchy” in haptics can be a bit misleading. There is no better science than another. You need both senses to complete an experience. Most of the time you cannot determine if a surface has imperfection by only seeing it, you need to touch it to be able to feel it. Haptics is necessary for some experiences; it breaks the illusion in a way. The haptics channel contributes to the VR experience. If haptics is lacking, you are much more able to tell that your environment is fake and created from scratched. When you consider all the stimulations of a VR environment, haptics enables blurring the borders between virtual and reality for the user. ##### 3 interesting haptics experiences The first one was VR bubbles haptic feedback which brings an interesting dimension to the haptic feedback. The second one was passive haptics, which refers to the presence of a real object that you can transform (make it bend, make it bigger, etc). The third one is related to wearables. They have a lot of potential in providing sensations and perceptions to the user. ##### The future of haptics The first improvements in haptics will probably be dedicated to VR gaming because they are relatively easy to do, and a lot of people are working on it. However, a constraint remains the price of this type of equipment. The added value for the experience needs to be clearer to the customer if we want them to accept paying for this complete experience. But there is also augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and mobile applications. All these areas are promising in terms of future haptic development. ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Use Cases: Best Practices for Haptics at Scale in VR Training URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/use-cases-best-practices-for-haptics-at-scale-in-vr-training/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-15 · Category: Events & Webinars > On Thursday, May 27th, key players from the haptics, hand tracking, and VR training industries gathered to discuss the scaling of haptics in VR training applications. It addressed how a company can leverage haptic technology across all their virtual training scenarios thanks to Interhaptics and Innoactive technologies. On Thursday, May 27th, key players from the haptics, hand tracking, and VR training industries gathered to discuss the scaling of haptics in VR training applications. It addressed how a company can leverage haptic technology across all their virtual training scenarios thanks to Interhaptics and Innoactive technologies. Interhaptics allows the creation of great virtual reality haptics scenarios in a few clicks with the integration of exoskeleton and haptics gloves into the scalable enterprise VR training roll-out solution, the Innoactive creator. All actors of the value chain, from the software development with Interhaptics and Innoactive to hardware manufacturers with SenseGlove, ManusVR, and Sensoryx. VR Training defines a solution using virtual or mixed reality to transfer useful skills to the trainee. Enhancing the user experience is key in VR Training, but controllers can be very limiting for this kind of experience. Haptic gloves and exoskeletons represent real game-changers when it comes to VR Training. They significantly increase the added value, user experience, and efficacity of the training. The development of high-fidelity hand tracking interactions and haptic feedback can take a very long time and be complicated. This article will go through the best examples of implementing haptics to exoskeletons and gloves. ##### Main points of the webinar The National Education Association of the United States conducted a study about the different learning retention rates depending on the most common learning methods available today. Learning retention refers to the process by which new information is transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory. In other words, it essentially involves gaining new knowledge. In this diagram, we can see that lecture and reading methods, which are commonly used, also have the lowest rates. Audio-visual, which is used more and more for traditional training, comes in the third position with a learning rate of 20%. However, we can see that the rate for VR Training is very high, at 75%. Showing that, by allowing your trainee to do exercises by themselves with the help of virtual technologies, you drastically improve the efficiency of your training. ##### Scalability process of haptics VR training is a very strategic area for VR companies in the market. It can be easily explained by data from a case study made by Innoactive, Unity, and Volkswagen. VR training was found to reduce training time by 50%, and with only a third of the training costs. It was also very highly recommended by the users. Founded in 2013, Innoactive is a leading provider of enterprise VR solutions based in Munich. They offer an open VR training platform that enables an efficient roll-out of VR training globally. Their modular set of software tools and web services allow the VR training app development and deployment to be scalable. The scaling process can be divided into “boxes,” from creation to deployment, between Unity, Interhaptics, and Innoactive. The creator is integrated with the Interhaptics development tool directly into Unity to design haptic-enabled VR training content without writing code. Haptics assets created with the Haptic Composer can be used during the process. It can then be deployed on any devices like the ManusVR, SenseGlove, and Sensoryx. The Innoactive portal allows the deployment of the content on different technologies. Thanks to Interhaptics, haptic feedback can be deployed both for controllers and haptic devices. This offers great scalability of the content creation process as well as the development process. ##### Uses Cases and Best Practices ###### Procedural training Aerospace is one of the sectors where VR Training is most relevant because you do not want to replicate an entire cockpit due to its very high cost. And even if an airline or aviation companies have the resources to invest in this type of training, there are two different kinds of issues: - First, the simulation cockpits are used 24/7 and present a lack of technology, - Second, they are made only to replicate the most important tasks and cannot provide a wider basis. Indeed, this use case presents Sensoryx VR Free gloves, which offer cost-efficient and seamless integration into existing applications for hand and finger tracking. There is no need to have an extra tracking solution to know exactly where the hands are and what they are doing, even if they are not in the direct line of sight. It comes in very handy for pilot training and civil airplane training. This use case was created for a Dutch company. It is based in a restaurant, and the user has to complete an order. He has to grab certain items and place them on the tray, and if he does anything wrong, the experience notifies him. This use case was created to train neurological patients for entry back into the working world so they could work again. Their handling of the order is tracked to ensure they are doing the different steps, checking the things they grab first and the mistakes they might make so their improvements can also be tracked. Another B2B use case is for assembly line training. The user can learn how to do a specific task. In this case, it is important to have a mobile training system. It also means that you can personalize the tasks you want each employee to be trained on. ###### High-risks training The first use case is from Telexistence, a Japanese company that created a robot (Model H) completely reproducing the actions of the user controlling it. They created an immersive and accurate experience. Using the gloves and the headset, the user could be present somewhere they would not usually be. The user can also see through the robot’s eyes. The arms of the robots are articulated, thanks to SteamVR trackers, to push the immersion experience a step further. Telexistence created this using ManusVR C++ SDK and added their force feedback modules. The next use case was created for the Dutch army and allow the students to virtually train to avoid damaging real equipment. Indeed, it drastically reduces the costs. They already had a VR training solution, but they were looking for a mobile device with a higher feedback fidelity and not just for motion capture. This use case was made for Volkswagen and again shows the importance of force feedback. There are many detailed interactions inside this particular assembly training of a door panel of a van model. This VR training is a digital equivalent to a physical mock-up. One important thing to remember is that haptics cannot miraculously physically mimic real-world textures to the point where you can distinguish skin and wood. If you have a VR training project and are interested in collaborating with any of the companies present during this webinar, you can contact us using this form. ##### Introduction to Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), console applications, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. You want to develop a training scenario in VR with Interhaptics? Read this article to find out more. If you are interested in collaborating with Interhaptics for creating a POC, contact us here. --- ### Haptics Use Cases and Applications in VR: Marketing/Sales URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-use-cases-and-applications-in-vr-marketing-sales/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-12 · Category: Industry Insight > This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. ##### What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a VR marketing/sales solution? ● Application maturity. A successful VR marketing application requires the marketer to be familiar with virtual reality technology and to have successfully delivered proof of concepts validating the ROI. ● Developer/Integrator capabilities. The developer and integrator capabilities are important factors to consider while engaging with VR marketing content creation. VR marketing applications are well served with great visual content and refined experiences. ● Asset Compatibility:3D source material should respect the compatibility necessities for real-time haptics interactions. This is especially relevant when re-using pre-existing assets. ##### What are the key values to adopt a VR marketing/sales solution? There are multiple key values to be considered in the developing process of a VR marketing/sales solution. Among them, there is: ● Engage the user. A well-designed VR marketing experience generates a deep sense of presence, increasing user retention and engagement during the experience. ● Increase customer conversion rate. User immersion within virtual reality marketing applications can increase customer conversion. With VR applications, marketers can enhance user immersion and content interactivity. Marketing applications result in a greater lifelike experience and testing capabilities for customers. This is especially relevant for applications in real estate or complex products like vehicles, tool machinery, or boats. ● Speed up the sales process. The sales of complex or spatially large products can be helped by VR applications. The greater benefits happen when a product requires user testing or live presence to evaluate human factors. ● Reduce marketing costs. Virtual reality marketing applications can be realized once, and deployed on multiple sites, easily transported, shipped, and deployed in front of the customers. An entire catalog of complex products can fit in a portable headset. ##### Why should you include haptics in your VR marketing/sales solution? The added value of haptics in a VR marketing/sales application rely on three main points: ● Realism/Differentiation of active haptic elements. Haptics can differentiate and bring closer to reality product aspects and characteristics important for the marketer. For example, demonstrating how an HMI system of a virtual product responds to the touch or how a lever activating a certain command can be delivered with the right haptic technology. The user will gain a visceral understanding of how the physical product would behave. ● Immersion. Well-designed haptics enhances the user immersion during the marketing activities. The user will feel more present and in control of the situation, resulting in greater retention and engagement during the experience. In the end, greater customer engagement means a greater chance of a conversion. ● Accessibility. Haptics guarantees that the virtual reality marketing content is accessible like the real product. Users simply use their hands, feel the feedback of the virtual environment, and act much like in reality. ##### Which haptics characteristics should you optimize while designing your content and choosing your haptics device? ● Wearability. Virtual reality marketing needs to meet operational targets to justify its ROI. Therefore, the haptics device used for these applications should be easy to wear, comfortable, and not impede users’ natural movements. ● Embodiment. What is the continuum between passive haptic realism and simulated active haptic from a cost and fidelity perspective? Marketers have to consider the purpose of their content and the target user. They have to balance the passive haptics effect, generating a believable, albeit incomplete, sensory experience, with the stronger embodiment and deeper experience delivered by simulated active haptics. There are existing haptics solutions balancing passive haptics capabilities vs. fully simulated haptics. The material, integration, and experience design budget usually grow with higher experience fidelity. Marketers should define the success criteria for the experience and derive the best haptics solution. ● Scalability. Marketers need to identify what determines the scalability of their content. Will the solution be used by VIPs in high-end retail stores or realized in hundreds of units and shipped to customers? In both cases, the right haptics can fit with the required scalability. ● User experience (WOW effect). Great haptics elicit the WOW effect among potential users. This is a powerful tool for marketers to substantiate sensorial marketing applications and make the experience memorable. ● Content enablement. The implementation of haptics in existing content requires the specification of the haptics experience to be created. This can be delivered by purchasing existing haptics assets to be combined into the scenario, using haptics design software to create the necessary content, or with the support of a service provider delivering specialized haptics development. ##### Overview of VR marketing/sales use case Virtual reality technologies have the capability to showcase products and experiences that are impossible or extremely costly to build. It has applications for trade show experiences, in-store experiences for retail, experiential marketing, and raising user awareness for specific topics. This use case achieved the customer’s goal of increasing engagement and enabling the marketing of a very novel experience. The haptic component of this use case needed to be usable in a trade-show environment, be scalable, and create a WOW effect for the target customers. SenseGlove has created a VR environment where the symptoms of nerve damage can be experienced. This simulation was used in a worldwide campaign for Procter & Gamble Health to raise awareness of nerve damage and build empathy for those suffering from it. Customer Goals: Product/experience insights. Haptic Technologies Used: SenseGlove DK1, Unity plugin by SenseGlove. Role of Haptics: Immersion, user experience, create empathy. Outcome: For P&G Health, it is hard to communicate a marketing message of a disease commonly overlooked by people and general practitioners. Therefore, they wanted to create a campaign to increase awareness of nerve damage. The SenseGlove tool was the ideal one for P&G Health. At conferences, they can let GPs experience nerve damage symptoms themselves, so GPs can learn to diagnose these symptoms earlier. This innovative way of marketing also created significantly more traffic to their stand at conferences and roadshows. The project lasted for a year. It kicked off with a movie in 2019, and the showcased traveled around the world in countries like Brazil, the Philippines, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Portugal. Through spreading the video, P&G Health was able to increase the awareness in the public of the symptoms of nerve damage and build their brand in an effective and innovative way. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback to your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us here. --- ### Sensoryx VRFree hand-tracking system is now compatible with Interhaptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/sensoryx-vrfree-hand-tracking-system-is-now-compatible-with-interhaptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-08 · Category: Partnerships > Sensoryx and Interhaptics announced their collaboration in December 2020. The aim was to streamline the creation of hand-tracking interactions for VRFree. Today, they are coming back to present their success story around hand-tracking challenges and share the great partnership between them. Sensoryx and Interhaptics announced their collaboration in December 2020. The aim was to streamline the creation of hand-tracking interactions for VRFree. Today, they are coming back to present their success story around hand-tracking challenges and share the great partnership between them. They are thrilled to announce the support of Sensoryx VRFree system in Interhaptics. ###### Hand-tracking systems & Interaction design tools Hand-tracking technology is a feature that allows you to use your own hands instead of controllers in a virtual environment. Different captors detect the hand positions to recreate them in virtual reality and reinforce the human-computer interaction. The gesture recognition market is predicted to have significant growth in the coming years. “The Global Gesture Recognition Market is expected to expand at a 27.58% CAGR during the forecast period 2017–2023. “Gesture recognition is a technology that recognizes human gestures to communicate and control electronic devices. Gestures refer to movements of hands, fingers, body, and other physiological controls. This technology uses various sensors, namely, infrared sensors and image sensors, to recognize and interact with the devices. “Process manufacturers incorporate gesture recognition. The emergence of gesture as a new way of communicating with machines, the development of motion control gaming, and the growing consumer electronics market are the factors contributing to the growth of the gesture recognition market. However, technical challenges in 3D gesture interaction and limited hardware capabilities are the factors hampering the market growth.” (Source: MarketWatch) ###### Hand-tracking challenges One of the current hand-tracking challenges is translating an analogic input (the hands) into a logical one interpreted by software and creating scalable and easily implementable hand interaction content. This is what we are bringing with the Interhaptics tool — The Interaction Builder. Therefore, the two European tech startups, Sensoryx, and Interhaptics have partnered and integrated the VRFree gloves with the Interhaptics development suite. For the most seamless experience possible, Interhaptics and Sensoryx have integrated the VRFree system to enable users with a powerful hand-tracking device for all Virtual Reality (VR) experiences. ###### About Sensoryx Sensoryx develops hardware and firmware for their patented tracking technology, which is principally used in VR and AR applications. This technology combines different sensor types, thereby eliminating IMU-inherent drift and occlusions associated with optical tracking. Our VRFree hand and the finger-tracking system is currently the only glove offering its own independent, mobile 3D tracking. This state-of-the-art wearable sensor system captures every movement of its wearer with utmost precision in real-time. It also does so without using external references (stationary cameras or laser beacons). “Sensoryx is delighted to be partnering with Interhaptics, as there are many synergies between our companies and technologies. Chief among these is our joint obsession with making VR interaction as standardized and straightforward as possible for users. The Interhaptics Interaction Builder is an important tool that allows users to easily include tracking and haptic feedback in their simulations for a more immersive and high-quality VR experience. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Sensoryx to partner with Interhaptics to ensure that our VRFree products are integrated with the Interaction Builder. We look forward to a successful and fruitful relationship with Interhaptics.” Dr. Rolf Adelsberger, CEO and Co-Founder of Sensoryx. ###### The Integration & Use cases Hand-tracking brings real value when it comes to VR training solutions. For example, in industrial training, the precision of every gesture is extremely important. This is where the combination of a high-technology device — The VRFree gloves — and powerful hand-tracking interaction design tools — The Interaction Builder — are coming in very useful. It can also be used in VR gaming to increase user immersion and experience, as well as human-computer interaction. You will find snapping and grabbing among the different features of the Interaction Builder. The objective is to bring to every user the most seamless experience possible. ###### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Sensoryx is deploying a much-needed cross-platform hand tracking solution. The increased precision compared to optical hand tracking and the integrated tracker system make it a compelling solution for some enterprise use cases. We are thrilled to partner with them to enable creators around the world to leverage the VRFree glove for their Virtual Reality applications thanks to our Interaction Builder.“ Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics. ###### How to use VR Free Glove with Interhaptics One of the Interhaptics suite’s powerful tools is the Interaction Builder. It is a low code 3D engine plugin to develop hand interactions within three clicks. This plugin increases the value of the creation while significantly decreasing the development time. And it now supports the Sensoryx VRFree hand-tracking system. All you have to do is import your project to the Interaction Builder plugin, choose the Sensoryx VRFree hand tracking system, and start your creative journey. If you have a project and would like to collaborate with Interhaptics & Sensoryx for your next VR project contact us here. --- ### Building the Haptics Future through Collaboration: The MPEG Haptics Standards submission (Process update #2) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/building-the-haptics-future-through-collaboration-the-mpeg-haptics-standards-submission/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-05 · Category: Haptics > The implementation of accepted standards in a fragmented market always accompanied the growth and consolidation of any industry. This happened multiple times throughout the history of technology with large impacts on the economy of the industry. Interhaptics is at the center of a breakout point for the Haptics market. MPEG chooses Interhaptics encoding and architecture as the basis for the future standard of haptics due to its best perceptual performances. Standards implementation will quickly make verticalized solutions obsolete, and those who are leading the effort will be a market leader in the years to come. Interhaptics is engaging on multiple levels of the Haptics market to maximize standards adoptions and launch a global haptic ecosystem. Engage with us today to maximize Haptics ROI and future performance. #### Where is the haptics standardization process today? Two important milestones were achieved in October 2021 and Interhaptics is at the heart of them. The first milestone is the near future of Haptics as a first-order media type, giving Haptics the same status as Audio and Video in the technological landscape. This means that haptic files can be encapsulated to be delivered with audio and video format in standardized MPEG media. This is the 1st step to deliver content adoption. This means that your streaming service can contain a haptics track included in the current MPEG formalism. The second milestone was the issuing from MPEG of the Reference Model 0 — RM0 of haptics encoding. The RM0 is the base format upon which the final haptic encoding standard will be issued. The success of the haptics standard depends on the adoption of the standard by the industry players. This comes down to who wrote the specifications. The RM0 was issued following a Call for Proposal issued by MPEG. Several companies submitted their technology proposal, and a challenging selection process indicated the best technology candidate for the RM0. Among the sponsors and judges of the Haptics Call for Proposal were: – Apple – Sony – Immersion – Interdigital Apple owns the largest haptics platform in the world, the iPhone. Sony is a leading innovator in Haptics with the Dual sense controller of PS5, and a big player in the XR world with the PSVR. Immersion is the historical major player in haptics technologies. Interdigital is an IP technological company with major IP and technologies in video compression and 3D scenes. No better sponsor existed to kickstart the adoption of the MPEG standard. Interhaptics will be the technology platform upon which the RM0 will be built. Interhaptics has demonstrated superior technology both in perceptual rendering fidelity, signal compression, and platforms compatibility. All this is both for vibrotactile and kinesthetic feedback. Our encoding standard will be wrapped in a compatibility layer based on the proposal of other contributors to ensure future compatibility with 3D scenes and specific high-performance profiles. Interhaptics owns IP in both the form of patents and fundamental software to enable the implementation of these technologies in the Haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics’ proposal is the basis of RM0 and is a game-changer – It is 100 % compatible with Apple AHAP format – Perfectly transcode the Immersion IVS format, the basis of the implementation of many smartphones – It connects with Sony’s dual sense multi-channel needs, both for force feedback (adaptive triggers) and for the wide band haptic voice coil. – It has by far the best compression technology that paves the way for multiple actuators haptics for XR. (Nanoport partnership: https://bit.ly/3oqdZ3B)(Saarland University partnership: https://bit.ly/3bRT6rW)(Syntouch partnerhip: https://bit.ly/3kgqBJk) – It is based on perceptual encoding, which can be easily expanded for extended reality ##### What are the next steps? Interhaptics and other contributors to the RM0 will provide a working software reference model for MPEG 137 scheduled for January 2022. The model will undergo several rigorous tests to ensure its quality and reliability for the Core Experiment phase to finally deliver a first commercial version of the standard shortly. ##### Current MPEG Phase 1: Submission Material The submission consisted of the challenge of encoding and compressing in our Interhaptics Haptic Material format 3 different wideband signals: - Short Vibrations (< 100 ms) - Long Vibrations (> 100 ms) - Forces in 3D The challenges for the call for proposal are linked to the high compression rates necessary to meet the validation requirements and the format of the haptic signal to digest in the encoding process. The signal to digest were multiples, some of them vectorial and some of the signal based: - AHAP from Apple - IVS from Immersion - PCM files from Interdigital A specific challenge was posed by the PCM encoding: the starting signal was an 8 kHz,16 bit, which needed to be compressed at: - 64 kb/s - 16 kb/s - 2 kb/s Where the 2 kb/s requires a compression rate of 64, which means 64 times less memory consumption compared to the original! Interhaptics delivered the totality of the encoding requirements with 108 encoded files meeting all the compression requirements from the call for proposal. The submitted encoding proposal has been evaluated by a pool of haptics experts which will give an unbiased report on the quality of the encoding format to the call proponent. The MPEG experts gathered this submission and are selected the most promising characteristics of each proposal to synthesize the final standard. The standardization process is long, and it will take few years before it becomes operative on the market. ##### Next step : MPEG meeting to establish the RM0 The MPEG experts have selected the most promising characteristics of each proposal. Interdigital, Nanoport Technologies, Lofelt, and Interhaptics will have a new meeting with MPEG. The goal of this meeting is to establish the RM0 that stands for Reference Model 0. Each participant will have to argue about their submitted material. The next step of this meeting, MPEG present their previous tests results. Each proposal will be reviewed with their strenghts and weaknesses. Furthermore, a brainstorm with the test result will be operated to establish the RM0 among the 4 proposals. Some proposals can be merged in one if some features are complementary. Following the establishment of the RM0, each participant will have a 6 months process in order to evaluate and improve the RM0. The implementation of accepted standards in a fragmented market always accompanied the growth and consolidation of any industry. This happened multiple times throughout the history of technology with large impacts on the economy of the industry. One example is the implementation of the mp3 coding format standard which allowed the widespread adoption of digital audio players such as the iPod. This event cascaded till today’s predominance of digital audio streaming services such as Spotify. Nothing would have been possible without an agreed and common standard allowing the interoperability of audio encoded signals between devices of different manufacturers. The implementation of these standards is led by different organizations. The one responsible for the MP3 and the upcoming digital haptic encoding standard is MPEG. ###### What is MPEG? MPEG or the Moving Picture Expert Group “is an alliance of working groups of ISO and IEC that sets standards for media coding, including compression coding of audio, video, graphics, and genomic data, and transmission and file formats for various applications”. MPEG helps industry partners to agree upon shared encoding format and manages the licensing of relevant patent pools to enable third-party software producers to include the enhanced functionalities. Thanks to MPEG, you can listen to Spotify on your Amazon Fire TV, because all these services agreed on a common musical language. ###### The Need for Haptics Standards The haptics market is fragmented in different silos coming from the wildly different technologies that form the haptics ecosystems. One example is for vibrations: the implemented technologies in haptics vary from vibrations generated by Eccentric Rotating Masses (ERMs), towards refined wideband actuators like the Taptic Engine of Apple or the one included in the newest PlayStation 5 Dualsense Controller. ERM and wideband actuators accept and execute signals which are fundamentally different, they speak different languages. In practice, this means that if you build a game for the Taptic Engine of Apple Core Haptics, you will have to rebuild all your haptics implementation for a controller like the Dual Shock. This usually means that the game developers simply do not invest in great haptic implementation due to the higher cost to implement it. This is the reason the ecosystem needs haptics standard to be able to tie together all the different languages that each actuator speaks and allow content creators to build once for Haptics and deploy on all the devices implementing these technologies. ###### MPEG Phase 1: Organizers and Participants The first Call for proposal to standardize vibrotactile haptics proposed by MPEG is open and proponents can submit their proposal up to the 5th of July 2021. The call was proponent by Immersion Corp with the support of other organizations such as Apple. The original encoding submissions for this first round come from Interdigital, Nanoport Technologies, Lofelt, and Interhaptics. ###### MPEG Phase 1: Submission Material The submission consisted of the challenge of encoding and compressing in our Interhaptics Haptic Material format 3 different wideband signals: - Short Vibrations (< 100 ms) - Long Vibrations (> 100 ms) - Forces in 3D The challenges for the call for proposal are linked to the high compression rates necessary to meet the validation requirements and the format of the haptic signal to digest in the encoding process. The signal to digest were multiples, some of them vectorial and some of the signal based: - AHAP from Apple - IVS from Immersion - PCM files from Interdigital A specific challenge was posed by the PCM encoding: the starting signal was an 8 kHz,16 bit, which needed to be compressed at: - 64 kb/s - 16 kb/s - 2 kb/s Where the 2 kb/s requires a compression rate of 64, which means 64 times less memory consumption compared to the original! Interhaptics delivered the totality of the encoding requirements with 108 encoded files meeting all the compression requirements from the call for proposal. The submitted encoding proposal will be evaluated by a pool of haptics experts which will give an unbiased report on the quality of the encoding format to the call proponent. The MPEG experts will later gather this submission and select the most promising characteristics of each proposal to synthesize the final standard. The standardization committee feedback will happen by the end of September 2021. The standardization process is long, and it will take few years before it becomes operative on the market. ###### The Importance for Interhaptics The mission of Interhaptics is to enable creators to create wonderful haptics content in no time. The ability to deploy their creations on all the haptics interfaces available is part of the execution of this vision. We are aware of the challenges of a fragmented ecosystem, and for this reason, we began the development of Interhaptics back in 2016 by creating a Haptics Encoding format, our Haptics Materials, which could encompass the differences between the different haptics technologies. The Haptics Materials can store effectively not only vibrotactile Haptics, but also force feedback, spatial texture, and temperature changes. Being able to influence the Haptics Standard thanks to the submission of a part of our Haptic Material encoding will help the Interhaptics ecosystem to be compliant with the upcoming standard even before it is accepted. The MPEG challenge allowed Interhaptics to develop key technologies in the area of high compression haptics encoding as well as wideband haptics compatibility with a different format. One, in particular, is our perceptually lossless original encoding format which allows an extreme compression of wideband signals without any perceived information loss. Creators looking to implement Haptics in their software will have direct benefit from this activity in short term. The developed compression technologies will be available within the upcoming Haptic Composer 2.0 to allow creators to import sound into the Haptic Composer. The designer’s workflow will all modify the imported sound, add their haptics touches, and export them in their format of choice. The supported format will include AHAP from Apple, WAV for sound2Haptics conversion, and the Interhaptics Haptic Material Format allowing the best quality of the encoded signal. ###### What does it mean for haptics creators and designers? The upcoming standards will help the Haptics ecosystem grow. One of the key drivers for growth is the ability to create efficient and effective haptics content. The Haptic Composer from Interhaptics is a tool addressed to designers and developers to create high-definition haptics content. The future compatibility with the MPEG proposed haptics standard will ensure that the investment you are doing today with our content creation toolchain will be ready for the innovations upcoming in the haptics market tomorrow. --- ### SenseGlove DK1 is now compatible with Interhaptics (No code experiences for exoskeleton gloves) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/sensegloves-dk1-is-now-compatible-with-interhaptics-no-code-experiences-for-exoskeleton-gloves/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-07-01 · Category: Partnerships > SenseGlove and Interhaptics announced their collaboration to streamline haptic design for exoskeleton gloves. Using the, inspired by hand biology, SenseGlove’s DK1 and Interhaptics’ top-tier development and deployment software for virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) interactions, both companies successfully integrated the DK1 with Interhaptics' haptic feedback designer tool. Last October, SenseGlove and Interhaptics announced their collaboration to streamline haptic design for exoskeleton gloves. Using the, inspired by hand biology, SenseGlove’s DK1 and Interhaptics’ top-tier development and deployment software for virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) interactions, both companies successfully integrated the DK1 with Interhaptics haptic feedback designer tool. Thanks to Interhaptics’ drag and drop interface that allows the simplification of the haptics design process for VR and MR content creators while saving up to 90% of development time. ##### Haptic Design for Exoskeletons Exoskeleton gloves have several advantages over regular controllers. They give richer feedback to the user, and they can provide a more immersive experience by making it more intuitive and natural. They also allow manipulations that cannot be reproduced with regular controllers. SenseGlove’s exoskeleton gloves make the virtual reality (VR) experience feel more compelling and closer to real-world interactions. Haptics refers to the perception of objects through the sense of touch to convey meaning through physical contact. It is particularly involved in nonverbal communication. Haptics is a particular technology because it is bidirectional. It involves an action (interaction) and a reaction (haptics feedback). There are several haptics technologies on the market. They are roughly divided into tactile haptics technology and kinaesthetic haptics technology. Designing haptics for exoskeleton gloves is not an easy task. It involves considering the parameters and constraints, including space and weight limitations, workspace requirements, and physical constraints. The Haptic Composer is a low-code graphical design tool that works cross-platform. It uses a drag and drop system approach to ease the design process. Interhaptics supports the DK1 22 haptic actuators and creates HD haptics for the force feedback the DK1 has. ##### Integration & Use Cases Exoskeleton gloves in virtual reality (VR) experiences are very useful in various use cases. The first example is virtual reality (VR) training. Industrial training can be extremely expensive and time-consuming to be efficient. Virtual reality (VR) training is a perfect substitute benefiting from all the precision of professional training without duplicating any equipment or shutting down part of the workshop. Exoskeleton gloves with high bandwidth haptic feedback help increase user retention, as well as muscle memory. As an example of use cases, there are virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) simulations with any type of digital element. Another good example relates to VR training. Volkswagen and SenseGlove have created a virtual reality assembly training of the electric components within the sliding door of the T6 van. In this scenario, participants can be trained on the full procedure of all actions in this particular assembly process. This collaboration aimed to deliver a drag and drop approach for designing haptics and interaction scenarios. This integration is part of the Haptics for VR and MR package (Individual Pro and Enterprise Pro only) and features full integration of the SenseGlove system. It means that all you have to do is create your haptic material with Interhaptics development software and then benefit from the SenseGlove integration in your project to test your designs. If you have already created some materials, you can also drag and drop them directly in your project to use them with other Interhaptics modules. You can then connect the gloves to your computer and feel haptic feedback, as well as hand-tracking. ##### About SenseGlove SenseGlove builds and provides haptic gloves for training, XR simulations, and research. Since 2017, they have merged the connection between the digital world and our reality by developing and providing accessible and intuitive XR devices. Indeed, their devices generate a large variety of tactile effects and increase immersion into your XR experiences. By adding a haptic design for exoskeletons, SenseGlove enables natural interactions in spatial computing, resulting in a new digital reality that is accessible for every professional. “VR haptics is not only about hardware. Engaging applications with realistic interactions require development efforts. That may be quite time-consuming. Especially if you are not a pro at Unity! In order to simplify this process for researchers and developers, we have integrated SenseGlove with Interhaptics, and we are really happy to make haptics design more accessible for everyone.” Gijs den Butter, SenseGlove CEO ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Senseglove is doing a terrific job to reduce the barriers between the users and haptics for the Virtual Professional Training market. Their upcoming Nova glove is a step forward in terms of usability, and it will allow Virtual Haptics training to scale. We are happy to enable content creators around the world to scale their capability to create content for the Senseglove devices.“ Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhpatics If you have a virtual reality (VR) & mixed reality (MR) project and would like to collaborate with Interhaptics & SenseGlove to enhance your content, contact us here. --- ### The Shocking History of Haptics with David Parisi (Haptics Club #3) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-shocking-history-of-haptics-with-david-parisi-haptics-club-3/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-28 · Category: Haptics Club > Dive into the fabulous history of haptics with David Parisi, an haptics expert and Associate Professor of Emerging Media at the College of Charleston. The Haptics Club is an open community for #Haptics. It was founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. There is an event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. This time, we talk about The Shocking History of Haptics with David Parisi! Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who is David Parisi? David Parisi is an Associate Professor of Emerging Media at the College of Charleston. He was previously at New York University for his Ph. D. in Media and Communication. And this is where his dedicated work on haptics began. In 2018, he published a book based on his research called “Archaeologies of Touch.” For him, media are an extension of the sense, and this is when he started to become interested in haptics, and thinking media were insufficiently tactile. ##### The 3 most crazy haptic implementation The first no longer exists (the 1850s), but it was a frame that an experimental subject stands in, with a little bellow positioned on one side of the frame, that pushes air to the air pockets around the frame, and the experimental subject has to distinguish where there is air or not. This is basically a test of tactile attention. The second one is from the early 1900s, is an arcade game where you grab a handle and feel the electric shock becoming stronger until you win or take your hand off the handle because the sensation is too intense. This experience proves that going back a hundred years ago, people were more used to touching electricity than we are today. And the third one is from the 1950s. There were five vibrating motors positioned on the torso, and they were experimental prototypes used by the army to potentially replace morse code as a faster linguistic transmitting system. ##### How could haptics be used as a language? The biggest challenge is not to think about what people are capable of decoding but whether they are willing to decode. Users still lack the willingness to decode haptics as a language. Moreover, the interpretative framework of your user is not necessarily going to be constant. It is all about what it will mean and for who. A good example is the use of haptics with blind people, who you would expect to be more confident with communication through touch due to the Braille writing system. In reality, they try to stick as much as possible to what they already know. ##### Haptics as a medium People from media and communication start getting more interested in haptics. The Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology (1801) describes haptics as “the doctrine of touch” and compares it to optics as the “doctrine of seeing” and to acoustics as “the doctrine of hearing.” In his book, David Parisi talks about it as the logic of analog medialization, meaning that haptic technology is inspired by the technologies of seeing and hearing and applies the same processes as for these two areas. Touch should not be considered just one sense, but five to seven different ones, distinguishing pain, tickles, temperature, pressure, weight, vibration, etc. And they are all different ways to convey information. This comes from the fact that vibration or pain can become so intense that it would count as a separate sense from touch. ##### The future of haptics According to David Parisi, it will not look that different from now. Even if mobile haptics is a big challenge right now. He sees it proceeding step by small step rather than by big steps, simply because haptics has existed for a very long time and a lot has already been done. It is time to take haptic software and hardware to another level to achieve real innovation. ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sainsily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Interhaptics collaborates with Matteo Piviotti to study the impact of haptics on VR training URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-collaborates-with-matteo-piviotti-to-study-haptics-impact-on-vr-training/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-24 · Category: Research & Science > Interhaptics and the VR@POLITO lab of Politecnico di Torino University in Turin, Italy, are collaborating in a study of the impact of haptics in virtual reality (VR) training through an M.Sc. thesis project by Matteo Piviotti. Interhaptics and the VR@POLITO lab of Politecnico di Torino University in Turin, Italy, are collaborating in a study of the impact of haptics in virtual reality (VR) training through an M.Sc. thesis project by Matteo Piviotti. Matteo is enrolled in the M.Sc. degree in Computer Engineering at Politecnico di Torino. Five years ago, after a B.Sc. degree in Electronic Engineering, he discovered VR and founded a startup based on this technology. Now he is working to improve VR immersion by studying the sense of touch and how to feel different sensations. Tangible results have been achieved thanks to the collaboration with the Leonardo Aircraft “Virtual Lab” where, in the thesis framework, Matteo tests and verifies the applicability and effectiveness of different haptic solutions applied in the environment of aircraft maintenance training, with particular focus on usability and ergonomics. This opportunity is part of Leonardo Aircraft’s policy to experience the most innovative solutions in order to continuously enhance the value and the attractiveness of training products for its Customers. The training of personnel specialized in the maintenance of complex systems, such as an aircraft or a helicopter, cannot, nowadays, ignore the use of state-of-art training devices based on high-fidelity simulation and immersive virtual reality able to reproduce the system behavior from graphical, human/machine interaction and functional point of view in a true-to-reality manner. ##### Integration of ManusVR gloves Haptics refers to the sense of touch and the technology of transmitting information through different perceptions. They include vibration, textures, or stiffness. The more precise the haptic feedback is, the more immersed the user feels. It can be particularly helpful in extended reality, especially in different use cases, such as VR training. Several industries requiring high-level precision and high-quality training already use VR as a solution. But adding haptic feedback to the VR experience gives the user huge value. ##### Project goal “One of goals of my thesis project is the integration of third-party gloves, Manus VR Haptics Prime Gloves, into the Interhaptics system. It is important that a developer could develop code without worrying about which type of glove the user will use or how to manage haptics and poses of different companies that sell gloves. My work will provide the developers two different features to use Interhaptics and automatically also the Manus Gloves. There are two components that I am developing: the first one is the provider for Manus Gloves to take the correct data from gyroscopes and from polygon systems and to use them for linking to the Interhaptics tracking system; the second component is the haptic provider, which is meant for haptics management, in particular, to ensure that data calculated by the Interhaptics renderer are transmitted to the gloves in a totally transparent way to the developer.” Matteo Piviotti. ##### What is planned for the future? “Since Interhaptics is a very powerful library for managing haptics and interactions, I’m going to use it for comparing the hardware from three different haptics market leaders: BeBop, Manus VR, and SenseGlove. In particular, I will create a simple scenario with different interactions in the industrial training domain.” Matteo Piviotti. ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for extended reality (XR), mobile, and console developer communities, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Interhaptics strives to deliver a transparent environment for developers and users alike for haptics. Our ambition is to allow the ecosystem to create great haptics at scale. Our collaboration with Matteo shows that non-experts in haptics can also integrate a new haptics device into Interhaptics and leverage the powerful design and rendering framework of Interhaptics. We will closely follow Matteo’s advances, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of his research.” Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics Fort more information, contact us here. --- ### Haptics Use Cases and Applications in VR: Training URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-use-cases-and-applications-in-vr-training/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-21 · Category: Industry Insight > . What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a VR training solution? Application maturity. A successful virtual training application requires the user company to be familiar with virtual reality technology. This article was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. ##### What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a VR training solution? ● Application maturity. A successful virtual training application requires the user company to be familiar with virtual reality technology and to have successfully delivered proof of concepts validating the ROI. ● Developer/Integrator capabilities: The developer and integrator capabilities are important factors to consider while engaging with VR training content creation. VR training applications are well served with great user experiences, refined accessibility, and usability features. ##### What are the key values to adopt a VR training solution? ● Cost reduction: Reduce real equipment use for training purposes, maintenance cost for training centers, travel cost for trainees. ● Ensure repeatability thanks to the digital format of the learning support. ● Ensure learning consistency thanks to the digital support. ● Increase user retention through increased immersion and gamification techniques. ##### Why should you include haptics in your VR training solution? ● Skills transfer.Well-designed applications that include haptic feedback in VR training can generate positive learning reinforcement and enhance training effectiveness. This results in a lower error rate during the training process. ● Realism.A similar behavior between the virtual and real environment facilitates skill transfer between the virtual and real case. The absence of natural interaction and realistic haptics can generate bad practices or negative learning that must be unlearned in real-life skill implementation. ● Immersion.Haptics can enhance user immersion during the execution of the training content. User immersion increases the embodiment and believability of the training scenario, increasing its effectiveness. ● User experience.Hand tracking and natural interactions coupled with well-designed haptic feedback can meet or exceed user expectations of interactive content. Interactions can be more precise and realistic, thus reinforcing the sense of presence. This reinforces the “learn by doing” value of VR training. The hand-tracked interaction is transparent and natural, whereas the controller interaction is mediated by a metaphor delivered by the system. ● Ergonomics/usability.VR training is accessible to everyone through the use of hands. The use of haptics reduces the friction of the adoption of VR training content. ##### Which haptics characteristics should you optimize while designing your content and choosing your haptics device? ● Wearability.Virtual reality training needs to meet operational targets to justify its ROI. The haptics device used for these applications should be easy to wear, comfortable, and should not impede users’ natural movements. ● Embodiment.The ideal haptic device should be transparent while not interacting and perfectly reproduce reality while interacting with VR. System developers should optimize transparency given their budget constraints. ● Scalability (hours of use, number of deployments, etc.). One of the key aspects to consider when thinking about haptics in VR is the origin of scalability. Do you need repeatability of the same content on different premises, to target hundreds if not thousands of users? Or are you looking to create a one-of-a-kind setup for critical operation training for specific applications? Both scenarios have different needs and requirements that can be addressed by different haptic devices. ● Skills training: hard or soft? Are you planning to teach how to use a simple HMI system? To ease the use of a soft skill training scenario, or to train how to precisely mount an aircraft? These use cases require different levels of haptics starting from optical hand tracking towards a high-fidelity hand haptics device. ● Integration of non-haptic peripherals. Increase the fidelity of the training by passive haptics with real objects “dummy objects” with haptic feedback from the device. ● Content enablement.The implementation of haptics in existing content requires the specification of the haptics experience to be created. This can be delivered by purchasing existing haptics assets to be combined into the scenario using haptics design software to create the necessary content. Or delivering specialized haptics development with the support of a service provider. ##### Overview of VR training use cases VR training (VRT) defines a solution using virtual or mixed reality to transfer useful skills to the trainee, by using an extended reality solution. Ranging from electrical maintenance training operations to automotive assembly training, automotive painting training, satellite assembly training, and realistic first aid training. The role of haptics is focused on accessibility and skill transfer. The outcome is usually positive, and these use cases are in use today. Use case 1: A well-known electrical equipment provider regularly commercializes low and medium-voltage electrical equipment needing maintenance. The customer’s workforce needs to perform scheduled training to learn and refresh the procedures to perform the maintenance operations. This training is performed at training centers around the globe. The sessions are extremely expensive, involving the workforce traveling to the training center, a few days stay to perform training activities on dummy machines under the trainer’s supervision. The electrical equipment manufacturer developed a haptics training solution to digitize the maintenance and security training for the workforce to bring the training sessions to the customer. The solution also commercializes a VR training system, including haptics and VR equipment, to allow their customer to keep the training scenarios and experience as documentation. Customer Goals: Risk reduction, skill transfer, reduced costs, increased margins. Haptic Technologies Used: The system was developed in Unity and incorporated 4 VR Touch (Go Touch VR) gloves. These gloves provide skin indentation feedback to enable tactile sensations primarily related to grasping and manipulation. Role of Haptics: Haptics was added to the simulation to increase usability and skills transfer. It was initially challenging to communicate this value to the customer. Once the customer understood that haptics does not reproduce reality with perfect fidelity, it became easier to have a pragmatic discussion about the correct use of haptic feedback in the simulation. Outcome: After two years, the customer is still using the project. The enhanced usability created with haptic feedback is a key reason for the lasting success of this use case. Use case 2: VR-based training application for automotive painting. A range of vibrations was introduced to guide the user through the painting processes, errors, and the set of guidelines. If the applied pressure is high, the user gets particular feedback. If the applied pressure is low, the user gets the appropriate feedback. An entire set of feedback is utilized for different sections of the training guidelines. Customer Goals: Risk reduction, skill transfer, product/experience insights. Haptic Technologies Used: The type of haptic feedback used for the project was based on vibrotactile perception. Essentially, the actuators were Actronika’s patented voice-coil motors (Hapcoil One) with a resonant frequency of 65 Hz. The VCAs were driven by our embedded solutions which is essentially a software-based control (Unitouch Embedded). The vibrations used were part of our library of UI effects. Role of Haptics: Immersion, usability, user experience. Outcome: The product is in use by the customer who is ordering parts every quarter. It is listed as one of the most satisfied customers. Use case 3: SenseGlove Nova has been implemented in the military VR training for assembling a satellite receiver. The aim is to avoid damaging expensive training equipment. Using haptics gloves in a virtual environment, the trainees are able to install the virtual parts of the satellite receiver in a similar way as they would install the real equipment. Customer Goals: Skill transfer, reduced development costs. Haptic Technologies Used: The SenseGlove Nova force and haptic feedback gloves. A multiplayer game based on the Unity engine and in integration solution of VREE, a Dutch VR development agency. Role of Haptics: Realism, immersion, user experience. Outcome: The study is not finished yet after 4 months of activity, but the first results are positive. There need to be some tweaks, but it has a high chance of becoming the standard way of interaction for this training of the Dutch defense. Use case 4: Volkswagen and SenseGlove have created a virtual reality assembly training of the electric components within the sliding door of the T6 van. In this scenario, participants are able to train the full procedure of all actions in this particular assembly process. Customer Goals: Skill transfer, reduced development costs. Haptic Technologies Used: SenseGlove DK1. A CAD to Unity pipeline. And the Unity game engine to create the content. Role of Haptics: Skills transfer, realism, immersion, usability. Outcome: The project satisfied the objective as a research project. For the desired implementation, a new follow-up project is needed with improved usability. This specific project lasted for 4 months and is finished. A follow-up project is scheduled for 2021. Use case 5: In 2020, the United States Defense Health Agency awarded a contract to HaptX and others to develop a haptics-based training system to improve the skills of U.S. Army fighters who administer emergency trauma care on the battlefield. The contract funded HaptX and its partners Engineering & Computer Simulations and Mayo Clinic to integrate the true-contact haptics of HaptX Gloves with the Army’s Tactical Casualty Combat Care (TC3) environment. For many years, TC3 used VR to teach soldiers to perform airway management, access vascular systems, apply tourniquets, and more. But without realistic touch feedback, trainees were only able to learn abstract procedural steps and were unable to naturally practice key skills and physical interactions. This contract funded research and development to improve the quality and retention of training with the goal of saving more lives on the battlefield. Customer Goals: Skills transfer, increased training effectiveness. Haptic Technologies Used: The project incorporated multiple HaptX Gloves DK2 systems. These gloves maximize realism by combining high-fidelity tactile feedback which displaces skin up to 2 mm, variable force feedback delivering up to 40lbs of resistive force per hand, and electromagnetic finger tracking. Role of Haptics: The developers of this project applied haptic effects to the virtual interactions to enable trainees to physically feel and practice the training program’s dexterous manual motions. These interactions included grasping and using supplies, feeling correct locations on the patient’s body, turning the patient’s body, and more. Haptics enabled the developers to achieve the project’s core mission of advancing training through improved manual interfacing with the environment. Outcome: The Army is midway through the project and will report its findings upon completion. Initial feedback has been positive. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback to your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us here. --- ### Interhaptics Partners with Saarland University around the Haptic Design Challenges in Virtual Reality (VR) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-partner-with-saarland-university-around-the-haptics-design-challenges-in-virtual-reality/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-17 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics and Saarland University’s HCI Lab and UMTL teams are collaborating to study and better understand the process of designing haptic feedback. Interhaptics and Saarland University’s HCI Lab and UMTL teams are collaborating to study and better understand the process of designing haptic feedback. Thanks to Interhaptics for Academics, a platform entirely dedicated to research projects, and more particularly to the Haptic Composer, Bruno Fruchard (Postdoctoral Researcher) and Donald Degraen (Researcher Ph. D. Student), both at Saarland University, will be able to investigate the process of creating haptic feedback for virtual reality (VR) and will also explore the obstacles it has for developers. Haptic feedback is not standardized, so its design remains a real challenge. Therefore, haptic design for virtual reality (VR) can become a real brain teaser for VR developers as they need to go back and forth between the VR environment and the design tools. Ever since Interhaptics’ launch, its mission has been to evangelize haptics and give the community access to it, empowering their virtual content. This collaboration aims for a better understanding of the full design process, including the challenges VR developers face when creating haptic feedback-related projects. The whole designing pipeline will be studied, from early-stage prototyping to designing detailed haptic experiences. The research process will be composed of different steps, beginning with reaching out to professionals to understand the various stages of their design process and how they work. This research and collaboration aim to identify gaps that interactive tools could fill and provide solutions to these issues and ease the haptic feedback design process. Interhaptics as a whole, and specifically Interhaptics for Academics, is a way to connect the gaps and deliver a real solution for all VR haptic developers. ##### Saarland University, a leader in computer science & informatics research Located in the southwest of Germany, Saarland University has earned an international reputation for its research in computer science and informatics and for work in the life sciences and nanosciences. Essentially the HCI Lab focuses on advanced interactive technologies and investigates new user interface concepts to create more effective, expressive, and engaging interactions with interactive systems. “Haptic design is a complex task that involves various stages, from low-level prototyping to producing high-definition haptic experiences. To bridge these extremes, we want to provide interactive solutions inside the virtual environment that enable a quick iterative design process through seamless and efficient interactions.” Bruno Fruchard, Postdoctoral Researcher at Saarland University. “Effective design for the sense of touch will support creators to enhance immersive virtual environments as never seen before.” Donald Degrean, Researcher Ph. D. Student at Saarland University. ##### Interhaptics, your tool to design haptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Interhaptics mission is to enable the haptics ecosystem to scale, and every decision we take is to reduce the barriers for haptics to be widely adopted by the digital ecosystem. With this mission in mind, the collaboration with the HCI group of Saarland University will allow us to understand deeper the unspoken needs of our users and streamline the digital haptics creation process.” Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics If you are looking to create wonderful haptics and you are interested in using Interhaptics for your haptic feedback designing projects, you can contact us here. --- ### Haptic design for Automotive with Filip Aleksandrow (Haptics Club #2) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-design-for-automotive-with-filip-aleksandrow-haptics-club-2/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-14 · Category: Haptics Club > Digital touch screens are becoming more and more common in cars. But one of the biggest issues is driver safety, and haptics becomes crucial for reducing the time the driver has his eyes off the road by transmitting information through touch. The Haptics club is an Open community for #Haptics. It was founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. There is an event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? ##### Who are Filip Aleksandrow and Immersion? Filip Aleksandrow is a Lead Interaction Design Architect and Haptic Designer at Immersion Corporation. Immersion is the world-leading innovator of touch feedback technology to create immersive and realistic experiences that enhance digital interactions on mobile devices. The company’s technologies have been adopted in more than three billion digital devices, including automotive, gaming, medical, mobile, and consumer electronics. ##### Why haptics in automotive? Digital touch screens are becoming more and more common in cars. But one of the biggest issues is driver safety, and haptics becomes crucial for reducing the time the driver has his eyes off the road by transmitting information through touch. Cost reduction is a major advantage compared to mechanical buttons that the driver might not even use. ##### In what other areas haptics for automotive could be used? Some companies are already looking for touch surfaces (textures, controlling through knobs with tactile feedback, or pedals and seats with haptic feedback…). There are many opportunities that Filip Aleksandrow likes to divide into four categories: – Exploration haptics: find where the button is, – Confirmation haptics: confirm that an action has been deployed, – Information haptics: inform what kind of action has been deployed (button ON/OFF, decreasing/increasing volume), – Skeuomorphing haptics: replication of physical interactions (mechanical buttons). These different types of haptics do not necessarily have to be on a touch screen. They can be on the steering wheel, the seat belt, or pedals, for example. ##### The place of user experience Haptics contributes intensively to cost reduction and safety for an automotive company, but what about the user experience? Tesla is a good example because it has over 600 different interactions and features on its touch screen. It contributes to user experience and is not just for safety, even though safety always comes first. Moreover, because safety regulations around the world are very diverse, haptics is quite hard to integrate because it has to follow the particular country’s laws. ##### The challenges faced by haptics today Technical understanding of how to integrate haptics from an engineering perspective is a real challenge for the moment (connection from the screen to the car, choice of actuators, noise reduction, etc. …) is one of them. Another reason from a designer perspective is that many HMI automotive designers do not fully understand the potential and value of haptics in the automotive field. ##### Steering wheel haptic feedback to increase safety in the driving experience According to Filip Aleksandrow, a lot of the haptics in automotive are copied from mobile. And it is concerning because, even though the user already knows these kinds of haptics, a designer should be inspired to create new kinds of haptics and be innovative. Haptics should be used to encourage the driver to keep his attention on the road, inform him that he needs a break, or remind him that he was supposed to pick something up before going home. And the major challenge is achieving this level of innovation without breaking privacy. ##### The future of haptics Haptics in the automotive space has so much more to offer, not only for confirmation and skeuomorphic aspects but also for exploration and information. To do so, designers have to be aware of the value of haptics in cars and realize that it is more than just vibrations. ##### Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sansily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Interhaptics and SynTouch partner for digital haptic experiences inspired by reality URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-and-syntouch-partner-for-digital-haptic-experiences-inspired-by-realit/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-10 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics (Paris, France) and SynTouch Inc. (Los Angeles, California) are partnering to empower creators of digital experiences to deliver haptics experiences inspired by reality without asking them to become haptics experts. ##### The sense of touch is indispensable! Imagine life without skin sensation compared to not seeing, hearing, smelling, or tasting. Human evolution made touch a powerful, persuasive nonverbal channel of communication that uniquely informs people of an object’s shape, position, texture, softness, weight, and temperature. Moreover, people often touch for the pleasure and fun of touching, like for example to enjoy the texture of paper, silkiness of soft fabric, or luxuriousness of a car seat’s leather. ##### Haptics is the “language of touch” It’s the subsystem of non-language communication that conveys meaning through physical contact. It is the perception of objects by touch and proprioception, especially as involved in nonverbal communication. Today’s most common haptic digital experiences are vibrations provided by smartphones and displays like those in automobiles and home appliances. While helpful and often pleasant, these haptic experiences are very limited and they are not inspired from real life. But we are already seeing great progress toward delivering the haptic realism that will enrich virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality, and other immersive digital experiences. Two recent examples are the haptics of the PS5 Dualsense and the high-definition (HD) haptic actuators beginning to appear in the market such as the Nanoport TacHammer or the SenseGlove DK1. ##### SynTouch & Interhaptics, the perfect match Along this path of progress, Interhaptics (Paris, France) and SynTouch Inc. (Los Angeles, California) are partnering to empower creators of digital experiences to deliver haptics experiences inspired by reality without asking them to become haptics experts. Specifically, the Interhaptics Haptic Composer will embed SynTouch’s Toccare® Haptics Profiles for many materials and surfaces. A creator using the Haptic Composer will define a virtual surface to be, for example, glass simply by referencing the Toccare Haptics Profiles for glass. Consumer will “Feel” a touch feedback inspired by the realistic touch feedback of Glass. The Haptic Composer is an easy-to-use software tool that allows the creation in minutes instead of hours of high-quality haptics experiences that interoperate across haptic-enabled platforms. It allows creating high-fidelity haptic content, fully supported on powerful actuators like the Nanoport TacHammer. It also renders multiple high-fidelity haptic perceptions on the SenseGlove DK1 haptic device. Finally, it is optimized for deployment through any device available thanks to the Interhaptics Engine. Similar to how RGB values describe colors, the 15 haptic dimensions of the Toccare Haptics Profiles uniquely quantify and communicate exactly how humans tactilely perceive materials and surfaces. That is, they are the “language of touch” needed to deliver realistic, replicable haptic experiences. The Toccare profiles were developed with extensive psychophysics research and validated with thousands of materials and surfaces to ensure conformance with human perception. Toccare Haptics Profiles are produced by the Toccare Haptics Measurement System, a highly sensitive instrument that biomimetically reproduces how human fingers sense, explore and move. If a finger can feel it, the Toccare system can measure it.https://www.wyvrn.com/media/0274802b95c1465f64d1131f41a7f50f Richard Koffler, CEO of SynTouch, comments that “our partnership with Interhaptics is perfectly aligned with our mission to bring scientific certainty to the sense of human-like touch in the digital world. We do this with both the Toccare Haptics Profiles and our BioTac® and NumaTac® tactile sensors for robotic and prosthetic-hand applications.” Interhaptics specializes in software that allows creators of virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications to easily and inexpensively develop and deliver high-quality haptic experiences. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem and strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, as well as the interoperability of haptic-enabled content across any haptic-enabled platforms. Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics, sees that “Syntouch is a pioneer in quantifying virtual tactile experiences. Their precise data that conforms with the haptics of real-world materials will help us empower creators interested in delivering realistic haptics experiences efficiently and with minimal effort.” Contact Interhaptics & SynTouch to integrate haptic feedback, & ready-made realistic haptic signals here. --- ### Haptics Applications in VR: Virtual Prototyping URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-applications-in-vr-virtual-prototyping/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-07 · Category: Industry Insight > While VR makes it possible to model systems and interactions visually, haptics makes these interactions lifelike. This will increase the perceived realism of the user while performing design and review cycles. This article “Haptics Applications in VR: Virtual Prototyping“ was extracted from the Recommended Practices for Haptics in Enterprise VR published by the Haptics Industry Forum. ##### Overview of virtual prototyping use case Efficient digital prototyping involves simulating objects’ behavior under real-world operating conditions; therefore, sensorial experience is as important as the visual one. While VR makes it possible to model systems and interactions visually, haptics makes these interactions lifelike. This will increase the perceived realism of the user while performing design and review cycles. An example of a virtual prototype use case is an Augmented Reality application with haptics exoskeletons created by Fraunhofer IEM in a joint research project with Hella Headlights. With a combination of a paper mock-up of an assembly cell, an AR headset, and the haptics device, Hella was able to optimize its design for manufacturing processes in the early product development stage. ##### What should be considered while planning to include haptics in a virtual prototyping solution? ● Application maturity: A successful virtual prototyping application requires the user to be familiar with virtual reality technology and have successfully delivered proof of concepts validating the ROI. ● Developer/Integrator capabilities: The developer and integrator capabilities are important factors to consider while engaging with VR prototyping content creation. Virtual prototyping applications are well served with refined accessibility features. ● CAD to VR pipeline: One of the key aspects of virtual prototyping is the implementation pipeline for CAD data to enable the review process. ● Multi versus single-player: Shared experiences help users to speed up the virtual prototyping process through real-time communication. ##### Which are the key values to adopt a virtual prototyping solution? Compared to traditional prototyping, virtual prototyping brings several essential advantages. Among them you can find: ● Cost reduction: both for physical and traditional digital prototyping. ● Faster development cycles. ● Standardization of solution: only one generic solution for all digital prototyping efforts. ● Portability: a VR solution can be positioned anywhere, even in a home environment. ● Teamwork easing: VR offers multiplayer solutions where several engineers can be present during the assessment of the digital prototype. ##### Why should you include haptics in your virtual prototyping solution? Haptics can bring value to virtual reality use cases in a different way, in the VR prototyping case, there are 3 key values haptics can bring to VR: ● Haptics enhances realism. A similar behavior between the virtual and real environment facilitates an informed understanding of human behavior. The improved perceived realism makes it easier for the user to make decisions on the UX, manufacturability, or ergonomics of a virtual prototype. ● Haptics enhances the immersion of the user. Haptics can enhance the users’ immersion during the execution of a test. Enabling a more realistic and engaging testing environment. ● Haptics enhances the user experience. Haptics or hand tracking enables an interaction that does not require a learning curve, rather than with controllers where every interaction is programmed differently. This enables the opportunity to work with untrained users. This can be critical in testing virtual prototypes on user behavior. ##### Which haptics characteristics should you optimize while designing your content and choosing your haptics device? ● Wearability. Virtual prototyping needs to meet operational targets to justify its ROI. The haptics device used for these applications should be easy to wear, comfortable, and it should not impede users’ natural movements. ● Embodiment. The embodiment of the haptic technology should be fit for the right purpose. Is the objective to perform simple ergonomic analysis or to provide designers with a tool to evaluate a prototype from a remote space? Or is the objective to digitalize the objective of a clay model in the automotive design process? Both situations require a different embodiment. The transparency of the solution should be based upon the desired fidelity and the associated ROI of the solution. ● Scalability (hours of use, number of deployments, etc.). One of the key aspects to consider when thinking about haptics in VR is the origin of scalability. Do you need repeatability of the same content on different premises, to target hundreds if not thousands of users? Or are you looking to create a one-of-a-kind setup for critical operation training for specific applications? Both scenarios have different needs and requirements that can be addressed by different haptic devices. ● Integration of non-haptic peripherals and mock-ups. Mixed reality mock-ups are a very good way to rapidly iterate in prototyping. Consider whether your haptic solution can interact with the physical part of the mock-up and whether it is able to simulate the right fidelity of haptics. ● Content enablement. The trade-off that should be considered is the ease of implementation against the quality of haptics. Standard haptic interaction might be compatible with direct CAD to VR pipeline solutions; more detailed haptic interactions would require tailored integrations. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in designing high-fidelity haptics or integrating haptic feedback into your virtual reality (VR) project, download Interhaptics Haptics for VR and MR. To collaborate with Interhaptics on your AR/VR/MR project, you can contact us here. --- ### Interhaptics and Kalank are collaborating to enhance the augmented reality (AR) mobile gaming experience with haptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-and-kalank-are-collaborating-to-enhance-the-ar-mobile-gaming-experience-with-haptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-04 · Category: Partnerships > Kalank and Interhaptics are joining forces today to study the impact of haptic feedback on mobile gaming, and more particularly augmented reality (AR) content. Nowadays, almost everybody has a smartphone. In fact, there are 5.22 billion smartphone users in the world (Source: wearesocial.com). And what most people do while waiting for their train, bus or subway, is listening to music and/or playing a game. Indeed, in 2020, the number of mobile game players has increased by 12% compared to 2019, with over 2.5 billion players (Source: businessofapps.com). Therefore, mobile game developers are investing more and more time and energy in creating incredible experiences, to satisfy the users’ demand. Competition is fierce and it is essential to keep the user as long as possible playing a mobile game. To do so, the user experience must be extremely well-conceived and well-thought-out. We have already approached the subject of the impact of haptic feedback in the user experience in a previous article, which you can find here. However, Kalank and Interhaptics are joining forces today to study the impact of haptic feedback on mobile gaming, and more particularly augmented reality (AR) content. ##### Why adding haptics to your mobile gaming application? People are not connected to a product but to how it feels in their hands, and the perceptions they get from it. Haptic feedback is there to enhance the user experience, and complement it, paired with visual and audio elements. It is a way to convey information to the user. Indeed, the more precise and complex the haptic feedback, the better the user experience. A clever mixture between patterns, time intervals, and intensities can also bring emotions. Any UX designer knows that empathy is crucial when it comes to providing the best experience possible. Therefore, your mobile gaming user experience can be dramatically improved by designing high-quality haptic feedback. For example, when you are playing a tile-matching game, you can feel vibrations every time you swipe to make a combo. ##### About Kalank Kalank is a digital experience crafting studio based in Angoulême, France, since 2017. They are a small team devoted to creating digital experiences and surprising games. They are willing, at work as well as in their productions, to develop creativity and the best of everyone, to be ethical and inclusive. Every day, Kalank is meticulously crafting playful and interactive experiences to make history. “We’re sure haptics will play a big role in creating immersive, delightful, and fun mobile experiences. We’re very happy to collaborate with Interhaptics in order to fully use this technology to increase our retention and players’ satisfaction when playing our games.” Adrien Carta, Co-founder of Kalank & Game Developer ##### About Interhaptics Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Kalank believes that haptics will be a differentiator for their upcoming game, and interhaptics strives to help creators to design and include haptics in their creations simply and effectively. We are looking forward to helping Kalank achieve a great multisensory gaming experience through Haptics.” said Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics. If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics & Kalank, you can contact us here. --- ### Haptics in VR gaming with Alex Meland (Haptics Club #1) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-in-vr-gaming-with-alex-meland-haptics-club-1/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-06-02 · Category: Haptics Club > When you are in a VR environment you embody the full experience, and it makes a major difference between playing a shooter in a video game and a VR game. The Haptics club is an Open community about #Haptics. Founded by members of Unity, Interhaptics, Senseglove, and Nanoport. An event every other week with speakers from various industries and academia. Do you want to listen to the full podcast? Who is Alex Meland and bHaptics? Alex Meland is a Community Manager at bHaptics, and passionate about the world of haptics. bHaptics is a company that specialized in full-body haptic suits. It provides a ‘sense of touch’ to virtual reality more closely than ever before imaginable. The company believes the most elaborate haptic feedback brings gaming, entertainment, and other interactive content to the next level by bringing the most profound emotional connections between the artificial world and users. When working in haptics, the first challenge is to make people understand what it is. Because it is not a very common topic for the public at large, you have to start by evangelizing it, before even explaining how it works and why it brings a huge value to VR content. Most of the time, people have already used it but without knowing it. The experience of haptics bodysuits in VR gaming When you are in a VR environment you embody the full experience, and it makes a major difference between playing a shooter in a video game and a VR game. In a video game, this is your avatar who is being shot out, whereas in a VR game it is you who is being shouted, and with the integration of haptics, you can feel the bullet and the deflagration. You can feel the reload of your gun, or when a rocket is coming at you, but only in your hands if you are only using controllers with haptic feedback. This is where people start realizing that being able to feel the haptic feedback on other parts of your body can change the game, to fill the gaps between the virtual experience and the reality. With some suits, like the Tesla suit, you can even feel cold and heat on your body, in addition, to force feedback. The key to a successful haptics experience The key for haptic devices to work is to be extremely well integrated into the gaming experience, to be easy to use, and to fit with users’ expectations. Challenges on integrating haptics in VR gaming are to reach developers to make the experience work effortlessly. The implementation process is fairly easy, like plugging a subtitle to a movie, choosing where and when the haptic feedback has to happen. Overall, the main challenge with haptics is to get more and more devices using this technology natively. The challenges faced by haptics today Because it is very niche, convincing gaming developers to integrate haptics into their games can be quite tricky. And the only way to convince people is to give them that first taste of it, by making them try haptic devices and the way it completely changes the gaming experience. The future of haptics Regarding the future of haptics, Alex Meland sees it going the way it did for VR, it has real potential. But for now, because buying a full suit is more expensive than the actual VR equipment, people are not fully ready to invest. But once it will because more affordable, lighter, and more comfortable, it has great days coming up. Who is the Haptics Club? The Haptics Club was founded by Manuel Sansily from Unity, Ashley Huffman from Nanoport, Gijs den Butter and Irina Tripapina from Senseglove, and Eric Vezzoli and Sarah Alkibsy from Interhaptics. Follow the Haptics Club on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the next events. Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. --- ### Haptic Industry Forum, and Interhaptics strategy for Haptic Standards URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-industry-forum-and-interhaptics-strategy-for-haptic-standards/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-05-27 · Category: Industry Insight > For experience creators who are used to content being platform-neutral, the haptic landscape is highly fragmented and inconsistent, which impedes creative exploration of the use of haptics to make novel user experiences. Interhaptics is a member of the Haptics Industry Forum and co-author of the original article. Interhaptics plan to support all haptic standards as soon as accepted. To learn more about the submission, click here. ##### Current state of the haptic ecosystem Human-computer interaction is increasingly utilizing multiple modes of simultaneous sensory feedback that includes video and animation for the eyes, audio for the ears, and haptics for the sense of touch. The increasing use of haptics has led to growing awareness and demand for haptic technology and content. However, haptics faces unique challenges. There exists no common media format or tooling to enable content creators, no standard platform APIs to enable developers to support haptic hardware, and no standard mechanical configurations for OEMs to drop into their devices. Because these problems are interdependent, most products with haptics are vertically integrated with components that cannot interoperate with other systems. For experience creators who are used to content being platform-neutral, the haptic landscape is highly fragmented and inconsistent, which impedes creative exploration of the use of haptics to make novel user experiences. ##### Our vision for haptic standards - Standards for haptic representation and coding enable content creators to create haptic content and monetize it across a wide range of end-user devices. Content creators can expect that the end-user experience will preserve the creative intent behind the haptics. - Standards for device manufacturers allow them to showcase rich haptic experiences on their devices and rely on a robust pipeline of compelling content to support device sales. - Haptic standards enable broader adoption of haptics in the mass-market overall, which grows the ecosystem and the commercial opportunities of the entire market. This vision translates to these 3 agenda Items detailed later in the article. - Agenda item 1: Haptic experience encoding. - Agenda item 2: Haptic platform API - Agenda item 3: Device protocol In the domains of audio and video, standards have been developed that simultaneously enforce baseline fidelity levels and define a design space for creative exploration. Such standards exist for media coding, platform APIs, and physical components. These standards enabled a rich ecosystem of content creators who could rely on a large enough content market to justify the cost of production. The existence of this market, in turn, triggered investment in design tools, content libraries, streaming technologies, and so on, and has resulted in a robust standards-based media ecosystem. ##### Agenda item 1: Haptic experience encoding At the founding meeting of the Haptics Industry Forum in December of 2019, the assembled industry experts aligned on a common need to provide a standard mechanism for abstracting devices and platforms from content. Since that meeting, Immersion has led the development of content standards in the context of MPEG, with these results: - Haptics is being considered as a first-order media type, along with video and audio. This means that MPEG files could contain just haptics, haptics, and audio, or any other combination of first-order media tracks. This activity is on the ballot and may become formally adopted as early as October of 2021. - MPEG has issued a call for proposals for a coded representation of haptic signals. This will become a component of the MPEG-Immersive multi-year program. - MPEG has mandated an ad-hoc group to develop requirements and eventually a call for proposals for coded representation of interactive haptic experiences. This will become a component of the MPEG-Immersive multi-year program. - Haptics Industry Forum is seeking to become a Liaison to the International Standards Organization (ISO) to facilitate contributions from HIF members to MPEG. All MPEG ad-hoc group activities are open to participation from any people with expertise in haptics, regardless of their membership status in ISO or MPEG. This standard will enable interoperable content-encoding which will allow the ecosystem to develop standardized haptic libraries and creation tools that can be used by designers in multiple markets. This will reduce the barriers to entry for haptic design and enable more and more impactful haptic experiences. Interhaptics Engagement: Interhaptics is a proponent for the MPEG phase 1 and 2 for the haptics encoding standard without Haptic Material encoding. To date, the only proponent covering both phase 1 and phase 2 requirements is Interhaptics. ##### Agenda item 2: Haptic platform API There is no standard platform API that allows developers to access the functionality of a broad range of haptic hardware without writing device-specific code. The development of a broadly applicable device protocol would encourage abstraction between end-user experiences and the physical hardware that renders them. The haptics ecosystem needs to define common APIs with standard functionality for applications running on Android, iOS, Windows, and other platforms. Haptics Industry Forum has recognized the need to drive these APIs and is engaged in a Liaison relationship with Khronos Group, specifically targeting the OpenXR and glTF working groups. The goal of entering into this relationship is to ensure OpenXR has sufficient API functionality and abstraction to support a wide range of hardware capabilities. HIF will also engage the IEEE P2861.3 group working on mobile platform API and presentation haptic standards. This standard will reduce the artificial barriers between different products by providing a consistent API that developers and toolmakers can rely upon. Interhaptics Engagement: Interhaptics is a representative for the HIF-Kronos liaison working group to help OpenXR to structure haptics standards. ##### Agenda item 3: Device protocol On a haptic peripheral, the communication between the microcontroller and the overall system commonly uses USB-defined HID (human interface device) protocols. Although there is an HID protocol for haptics that was ratified in 2016, it is primarily intended for single haptic effects that are triggered by a single event; it does not contemplate streaming of haptic effects, multiple channels of haptics, synchronization of haptics with other modalities, high-definition effects, kinesthetic effects, and so on. An extensible device protocol is needed to support legacy devices such as game controllers with rumble features, haptic mice, and so on, as well as near-future devices that can provide an endpoint for platform APIs and rich MPEG content. The existence of such a protocol will enable 3rd party peripheral vendors to compete and innovate to generate amazing new peripherals that can immediately access experiences already developed for the current best-of-breed peripherals. Haptics Industry Forum has recognized this need and formed an HID Working Group in April of 2021. This group is expected to register a new haptic usage page for HID before June 30th, 2021. This standard will enable plug-and-play compatibility of disparate haptic peripherals and reduce the cost of implementing advanced haptic functionality for device makers. This will enable innovative and competitive hardware to come to market that meaningfully leverages existing content but also provides new experience opportunities for content creators. Interhaptics Engagement: Interhaptics is the only software pure player contributing to the working group for the USB-HID Haptics Protocol. Interhaptics expects to support this protocol from day 1. Interhaptics Strategy and execution: Interhaptics fully believes that an interoperable ecosystem is a way to grow the opportunities for content creators and device manufacturers alike to create a vibrant market. ##### Interhaptics is already acting today to enact this vision Thanks to Interhaptics, creators can create Haptics experiences for VR in a unique way for several haptics devices thanks to our Haptic Composer and Unity Plugin (Click here to start). Currently Interhaptics supports: all VR controllers, Senseglove Exoskeleton, Manus VR prime 2 gloves, and several others. Thanks to Interhaptics mobile game developers can create Haptics experiences for both iOS and all the different way Haptics is managed in Android. (Click here to start) We are actively collaborating with several haptics technology companies to enable a vibrant ecosystem around our platform. Some of them are: - Senseglove - Sensoryx - Nanoport If you are interested to share your vision and to participate to these activities, contact ev@interhaptics.com This article was adapted from https://hapticsif.org/standards/ Eric Vezzoli, Ph.D. --- ### Haptics for Mobile: the best practices for Android and iOS URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-for-mobile-the-best-practices-for-android-and-ios/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-05-13 · Category: Haptics > To make the most of your mobile haptics and enhance your user experience, you should follow these guidelines. The haptics market is growing very fast and is one of the most promising among the new technologies. However, the user experience hasn’t been as researched as much as it should. Among the devices we use every day, our smartphone is probably the one we spend more time on. It follows us in every situation, from snoozing the waking up alarm in the morning to checking the latest news in bed at night. From a developer’s perspective, the way you interact with an application and receive feedback is extremely important because it affects the whole user experience, whether you realize it or not. Consciously or unconsciously, you enjoy using an app more if the user experience is smooth and well designed. For example, we have studied and detailed how important haptic feedback is for the user experience in the mobile gaming world. But it is also true for all mobile applications and any mobile environment (for example, notifications). ###### Best practices for mobile haptics To make the most of your mobile haptics and enhance your user experience, you should follow these guidelines. First, analyze the user behavior and identify what needs your haptics could answer in terms of user experience. Second, you need to know the exact steps the user needs to take to complete the targeted task. Third, decide what type of haptic feedback would be most effective and when to add it. The haptic pattern you are designing must fit the situation to bring real value and convey the right information to the user. It needs to match any other feedback the user receives (visual and audio) to build a cohesive experience. Fourth, you are ready to run an A/B test to decide which design pattern is the best for your use case. ###### How to design mobile haptics ? Design, Iterate, Play Interhaptics is more than a bunch of tools. It is also a community of haptic developers. You will find useful documentation on designing haptics and the value it can bring for specific use cases through theoretical and practical tutorials, documentation, or discussion threads. When it comes to design, Interhaptics gives you the Haptic Composer. It’s the most advanced haptic asset creation application. You can precisely create or modify your haptic materials based on the known perceptions of vibration and textures. When working on mobile, design iterations can be troublesome as you are constrained to push your content on your device each time. To get around that issue, Interhaptics provides a mobile app for both Android and iOS where you can directly try your haptic material on your phone, allowing fast testing iterations. You can also go with the standard pipeline and build your project. Materials will automatically be updated in your project if you edit them with the Haptic Composer without having to relink anything. ###### What Interhaptics brings you more You may have noticed that we did not mention Android or iOS specificities in the haptic design and integration process. It is simply because, thanks to Interhaptics architecture, there are none. You can design your patterns on the Haptic Composer regardless of the targeted platform, create your content in Unity without focusing on a specific mobile device, and you have a guaranteed maximized experience on the device your content will be played on. Some Android phones will perform better than others, but you can specifically filter which device can support your content if you wish. Another feature that we bring from our XR experience is spatial haptics. Textures are in our everyday lives, and we built the technology for virtual reality first, but it has an obvious potential on the 2D screens of our phones. Now you can design and integrate haptics based on the displacement on your screen, of a slider, or even based on the player’s movement on a specific surface in a game. ###### The challenges of designing mobile Haptics In the last few years, Apple has enabled app and game developers to create engaging content thanks to very high-quality haptics. Android’s diverse ecosystems have made it more difficult for developers to achieve the same quality level of experiences. Interhaptics for Mobile & AR bring you the solution by letting you design haptic feedback for smartphone applications for both iOS and Android. With minimum code required, instantly enhance your mobile augmented reality (AR) app and mobile games with haptics, resulting in experiences that immerse users and keep them engaged. All you have to do is download the Interhaptics for Mobile Package, install the Interhaptics suite on your computer, and download the Interhaptics Player App onto your phone. Interhaptics is also launching its Haptic Mini Games application. The demonstrator comprises five different examples of mini-games where you can use the Interhaptics for Mobile Package to add haptics to your smartphone applications, including four different cases where using tactile feedback improves the user experience. You can test them to get an overview of what you can do with Interhaptics for Mobile and Augmented Reality (AR). ###### What is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you have a mobile gaming project and would like to integrate haptic feedback with your application to enhance your content, download Interhaptics for Mobile and AR here. And if you are interested in collaborating with Interhaptics, you can contact us here. Resources: https://medium.muz.li/haptic-ux-the-design-guide-for-building-touch-experiences-84639aa4a1b8 https://medium.com/lofelt/the-keys-to-delivering-better-haptics-on-android-f502403c22e7 --- ### Experience haptic feedback on mobile games URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-launches-its-haptics-mini-games-mobile-application/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-05-06 · Category: Haptics > Today, Interhaptics is launching its Haptic Mobile Games Demonstrator both on Google Play Store and Apple Store! Enhance user experience (UX) with virtual tactile sensations in mobile games. Today, Interhaptics is launching its Haptic Mobile Games Demonstrator both on Google Play Store and Apple Store! Enhance user experience (UX) with haptic feedback in mobile games. ###### What is “Haptics mini-games” Demo? Interhaptics has designed five different iconic mini-games where you will be able to feel haptic feedback specially designed for each use case. Among these mini-games you will find: - The Rider: the classic hill climber, you ride an off-road car, and you have to accelerate or brake to climb over the hills without flipping over the car. - The Tile-matching: the legendary puzzle game loved by millions of players around the world. All you need to do is swiping in the direction you want to switch it with another one. Having trouble finding a combo? We got you covered, just use the weapons on the left to help you. - The Music-Rhythm: again, a classic, all you have to do is follow the music and play in rhythm. Follow the rhythm of the music and play at the same time. You have to tap the right note at the right time. Some notes are longer, and you have to hold them until the end of the trail. - The Runner: keep running while avoiding the traps and obstacles Avoid the traps and obstacles. Swipe left or right to slide, up to jump, or down to slide on the ground. - The Puzzle Game: solve our puzzle with haptics! Find the solutions to all our puzzles as quickly as possible to get the maximum score. Clues are available but will reduce your score. ###### Why we need haptics in Mobile gaming? Once you experience having a mobile game empowered with haptics, you can’t go back to enjoying a game without it. The advantages of haptics in mobile gaming are numerous: it increases game perceived quality, it increases user retention, and it improves gameplay & engagement (Immersion). Therefore, haptics in mobile gaming is also crucial for user experience (UX). If you would like to know more about the impact of haptic feedback on mobile gaming UX, you can have a read to this article. ###### Compatibility It is compatible both with Android (from v4.4 and later versions) and iOS (from iPhone 6S and later versions). As for extended reality, it will allow mobile game developers to deploy cross-platform from only one app. Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. We cannot wait to see all your amazing haptics mobile gaming projects created with Interhaptics. If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics, to develop mobile gaming apps, you can contact us directly here. Stay tuned to all exciting and new announcements follow us on social media and make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. --- ### Nanoport & Interhaptics Partner to Streamline Haptics Development for Wideband HD Motors URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/nanoport-interhaptics-partner-to-streamline-haptics-development-for-wideband-hd-motors/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-05-03 · Category: Partnerships > Nanoport & Interhaptics are making Wideband HD Haptics more accessible and easier to integrate for hardware companies and developers. Nanoport & Interhaptics are making Wideband HD Haptics more accessible and easier to integrate for hardware companies and developers. ##### The Need for Software Tools and Wideband Motors Nanoport’s TacHammer is the latest in vibrotactile motor technology, capable of producing a wide range of frequencies from deep rumbles to wideband textures; sharp, crisp clicks, ticks, and button press feedback; and high G-force impact haptics from a single unit. But playback is only half of the battle. For developers, designing wideband haptics remains a major challenge. Interhaptics provides a suite of software tools to produce a large range of effects and frequencies that can playback on the TacHammer haptic actuator out of the box. Together, Nanoport and Interhaptics are making it easier to implement high-definition haptic playback in more products than ever before. ##### Haptics on the path of becoming a standard interface The haptic industry is fairly new in the technology realm, however, in terms of human-computer interaction, we have experienced fast growth in the visual and audio aspect of connecting with technology, which is great. Yet, we are missing a major key sensation which is the sense of touch or better said tactile feedback. Expanding the reach of interactions through haptic devices has great potential in increasing the quality of communicating with the digital world. ##### The Next-Generation Haptics Experience Since 2012, gaming has grossed more than the movie and music industry as the largest consumer category for entertainment. The gaming industry is highly competitive. Hardware manufacturers and AAA Gaming Studios are constantly pushing the boundaries to get the edge on increasing user engagement and immersiveness. Haptics is one of the latest tools for the job, where products like Sony’s Playstation 5 have fully embraced the tech. Playstation 5’s new DualSense controllers use new wideband linear motors to increase the frequency range of haptic feedback, and both content makers and competitors are taking notice. Where developers are looking for better ways to create wideband content and manufacturers are looking for wideband actuators to put into devices of their own; Interhaptics and Nanoport are here to help. ##### Taking Advantage of HD Haptics The use of HD haptics is endless, it is basically where your imagination takes you. When you are working with haptic actuators, you can integrate the TacHammer Development Kit with a POC of a haptic device, for research purposes or in the implementation of a demo. The impact of powerful haptics will leave a powerful impression on whatever use case you are creating. Once you have your device — The TacHammer — you need to create the content that supports the full potential of the actuator. The Haptic Composer is a no-code haptic feedback design tool where you can easily create, render and deploy high-fidelity haptic feedback through Interhaptics Haptic Tech Components Package. The process of designing your haptic feedback would be the same through all the Interhaptics packages, however, if you are looking to deploy the haptic material to your TacHammer Development Kit all that is needed is to choose the specific haptic provider for the device and you are good to go. ##### Who is Nanoport? Nanoport Technology Inc. is an R&D lab for mobile technologies. The company specializes in the development of advanced solutions for connectivity, haptics, multi-device applications, and human-device interfaces. Nanoport also offers a range of specialized components for close-range communication, power transfer, and modular device interactivity. “Interhaptics has quickly grown to become a major contributor in the haptics industry. Their software was built upon years of research and haptics development now benefitting developers and programmers anywhere. We are excited to work with Interhaptics to offer haptic playback on TacHammer devices.”Tim Szeto, CEO of Nanoport. ##### Who is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company specialized in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), mobile, augmented reality (AR), and console applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the VR/MR/AR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. “Nanoport is one of the pioneers of high-fidelity haptics with their TacHammer actuators and the effort to develop better haptics technologies. We are thrilled to work with them to enable the deployment of next-level experiences for mobile, VR/AR/MR, and automotive applications.” Eric Vezzoli, CEO of Interhaptics. If you have a project and would like to empower yourself or your users with wideband haptics, we can help! Learn more about using wideband haptic in your projects, contact us here. --- ### Enhance player immersion with Haptic feedback for iOS & Android games URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/enhance-player-immersion-with-haptic-feedback-for-ios-and-android-games/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-04-30 · Category: Haptics > Interhaptics now supports haptics for mobile and augmented reality (AR)! It gives you the tools to design incredible haptic feedback for smartphones. Enhance players’ immersion by creating and refining haptic feedback for iOS and Android apps. Interhaptics now supports haptics for mobile and augmented reality (AR)! It gives you the tools to design incredible haptic feedback for smartphones. Enhance players’ immersion by creating and refining haptic feedback for iOS and Android apps. ###### Haptic feedback, the next step for user immersion In 2020, there were 3.6 billion smartphone users worldwide (Statista). The latest advances in haptics technology included in smartphones open an incredible range of possibilities for user experience (UX) in mobile games. By empowering mobile apps with haptics and haptic feedback, user attention and engagement significantly increases. To find out more about how haptics can change the user experience (UX) in mobile gaming apps, read this article. When we think about haptic feedback, the first thing that comes into our minds is vibration. However, with Interhaptics, it is more than that. You can create other perceptions or feelings, for instance, texture and stiffness. ###### Design once and deploy for both Android & iOS applications Developing haptics for Android and iOS devices is vastly different. Existing development tools are vertical for the OS (Operating System). Therefore, it requires separate development to create apps for both iOS and Android. Now, thanks to Interhaptics for Mobile and Augmented Reality (AR), this chore is firmly in the past. Interhaptics interfaces with iOS and Android for you, creating the best experience the device can deliver on each platform. Design and implement your creation once, deploy it everywhere. ###### How Interhaptics for Mobile works Interhaptics for Mobile and Augmented Reality (AR) lets you design haptic feedback for smartphone applications for both iOS and Android. Without any coding, instantly enhance your mobile augmented reality (AR) app and mobile games with haptics, resulting in experiences that immerse users and keep them engaged. All you have to do is download the Interhaptics for Mobile Packages, install the Interhaptics suite on your computer, and download the Interhaptics Player App onto your phone. ###### Test and share your haptics with the Interhaptics Player Download for iOS Download for Android ###### Natively Integrated into Unity 3D More than 50 % of worldwide mobile games and augmented reality experiences are built with Unity. This platform became the epitome of rapid development for mobile gamers. For this reason, Interhaptics is natively integrated with Unity. Interhaptics includes a Unity plugin with a solid event management system for smartphone haptics to streamline your development. We have multiple tutorials and design courses on creating haptics experiences for you to apply to mobile development. Haptics will no longer be a pain but a great opportunity that unlocks the potential of your mobile game! ###### Experience haptics on mobile games Interhaptics is also launching its Haptic Mobile Games Demonstrator. The demonstrator comprises five different examples of mini-games where you can use the Interhaptics for Mobile Packages to add haptics to your smartphone applications, including four different cases where using tactile feedback improves the user experience. You can test them to get an overview of what you can do with Interhaptics for Mobile and Augmented Reality (AR). ###### What is Interhaptics? Interhaptics is a software company that specializes in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and console developer community and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. We cannot wait to see all your amazing haptics mobile gaming projects created with Interhaptics for Mobile and Augmented Reality (AR). If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics to develop mobile gaming apps, you can contact us directly here. To stay tuned for all the new and exciting announcements, follow us on social media and make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. --- ### Sensoryx & Interhaptics partner to streamline the creation of hand tracking interactions for VRFree URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/sensoryx-interhaptics-partner-to-streamline-the-creation-of-hand-tracking-interactions-for-vrfree/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-04-12 · Category: Partnerships > The two European tech start-ups, Sensoryx and Interhaptics, are collaborating to integrate the VRfree Gloves with the Interhaptics development suite. To deliver the most seamless experience possible, Interhaptics will integrate the VRfree system to enable users with a powerful hand-tracking device. Hand tracking is on the rise in the XR market. In the last couple of years, several emerging high quality and precise hand tracking technologies were introduced to the market. Facebook came with the Oculus Quest 1 & 2, then Microsoft with the Hololens2 with hand tracking capabilities; but there are limitations in dealing with occlusions and in tracking outside the camera’s field of view on the headset. Sensoryx is a Swiss technology startup that developed a wearable sensor system that not only captures every movement of its wearer with the utmost precision in real-time, it also does so without using external references (stationary cameras or laser beacons). One of the current challenges of hand tracking is how to translate an analogic input (the hands) into a logical one interpreted by software and to create scalable and easily implementable hand interaction content and that’s what we are bringing with Interhaptics application; the Interaction Builder. Therefore, the two European tech start-ups, Sensoryx, and Interhaptics, are collaborating to integrate the VRfree Gloves with Interhaptics development suite. To bring the most seamless experience possible, Interhaptics will be integrating the VRfree system to enable users with a powerful hand-tracking device. “We are excited to be working with the Interhaptics team on this exciting integration project. Creating software-based, scalable and easily implementable hand interaction content is a critical capability for the future of intuitive and natural interaction for XR users. Interhaptics are creating a tool that will enable the easy integration of hand interactions across a broad range of XR hardware devices. This will result in a standardized integration tool for developers and a much more immersive, realistic experience for XR users. As such, Sensoryx are delighted to be working with Interhaptics to ensure our VRfree system is fully interoperable with their Interaction Builder” Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and Haptics feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality, mobile, and console applications. “We are thrilled to carry on this collaboration. VRfree is a solid device including precise and scalable hand tracking data. The capability to deploy this feature across different VR headset makes them a great device for several enterprise-related use-cases. They fit in our strategy to provide cross-platform design and deployment for Hand Tracking and Haptics devices.” The VRfree® system consists of a pair of lightweight gloves, and an HMD module that you clip onto your headset (Oculus, HTC Vive, Windows Mixed Reality, or similar). The system is composed of different, complementary sensor types that are fully integrated into the gloves and HMD mount. It allows users to fully track their hands and fingers in 3D space — without any other 3rd party tracking device. The system does not require any other external references like cameras or beacons, making it the only mobile hand and finger tracking system available today. The Interhaptics suite gathers two powerful tools. The Interaction Builder is a low code 3D engines plugin to develop realistic hand interactions in within 3 clicks. The application increases the value of the creation while significantly decreasing the time of development. Best used for hand-tracking and UX and this will soon support SensoryX VRFree Hand tracking system. If you have a project and would like to collaborate and integrate your devices with Interhaptics contact us here. --- ### Mobile Gaming UX: How Haptics Can Change the Game URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/mobile-gaming-ux-how-haptics-can-change-the-game/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-04-01 · Category: Haptics > Haptics technology is already embedded in the majority of smartphone hardware. However, it has not been leveraged to its full potential. Haptic feedback plays a very important role in the UX for mobile. The largest haptics market in the world is smartphones. There were 3.6 billion users worldwide in 2020 (Statista). Smartphone gaming revenue was estimated at over 63 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2020 (Statista). A new report from DFC Intelligence also shows that over 3 billion people play video games today and that the vast majority play mobile games. And because there are more and more players, they become more and more demanding regarding their user experience. Haptics technology is already embedded in the majority of smartphone hardware. However, it has not been leveraged to its full potential. Haptic feedback plays a very important role in the UX for mobile. ###### What is Haptics and how it can bring value? People are not connected to a product but to how it feels in their hands, and the perceptions they get from it. Haptic feedback is there to enhance the user experience, and complement it, paired with visual and audio elements. It is a way to convey information to the user. A good example of that is the vibration you get when you press a button on your screen, and you get a form of vibrational return. It confirms that the click has been correctly made. Indeed, the more precise and complex the haptic feedback, the better the user experience. A clever mixture between patterns, time intervals, and intensities can also bring emotions. Any UX designer knows that empathy is crucial when it comes to providing the best experience possible. Your mobile gaming user experience can be dramatically improved by designing high-quality haptic feedback. Using haptic feedback in your mobile gaming applications allows you to convey information directly to the player, through the sense of touch. For example, when you are playing a tile-matching game, you can feel vibrations every time you swipe to make a combo. And this will soon be possible with the release of Interhaptics for Mobile! ###### Interhaptics, your tool to create haptics on iOS & Android Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptics feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. The mission for Interhaptics is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. The launch of Interhaptics for mobile will gather the majority of the Interhaptics key features, but for mobile, including haptic feedback design and haptic rendering. It supports both Android and iOS. It will allow mobile gaming developers to deploy haptics feedback cross-platform from only one application. We cannot wait to see all your amazing haptic design projects created with Interhaptics for mobile. If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics click here , you can contact us directly here. Stay tuned for all the exciting and new announcements. Follow us on social media and make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter! --- ### Interhaptics & Artiness Collaborate in creating Medical Applications for surgeons on the Hololens 2 URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-artiness-collaborate-in-creating-medical-applications-for-surgeons-on-the-hololens-2/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-03-22 · Category: Partnerships > Interhaptics is collaborating with Artiness to empower the development of hand tracking and interactions in a Hololens 2 environment for medical and surgical treatment applications. The adoption of high-tech-driven methods for training has grown in the past few years, especially through the use of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and in high precision cases Mixed Reality. When focusing on Mixed Reality we immediately think about Microsoft Hololens 2 and how this specific hardware is being used to elevate healthcare training with interactive holograms. Different forms of medical training are being integrated into a Mixed reality format, from the basics of studying human anatomy, disease diagnostics, and further surgery training. Having the advantage of creating an application while having the ability to interact with virtual objects in a “real” object, results in having highly beneficial training outcomes. Therefore, today, Interhaptics is collaborating with Artiness to empower the development of hand tracking and interactions in a Hololens 2 environment for medical and surgical treatment applications. Artiness actively develops applications for Hololens 2 and is adding into their creation Interhaptics hand interaction technology, empowering their applications with precise hand gestures and object manipulations resulting in realistic and accurate applications. “Hands are the most natural way to interact with 3D content in Mixed Reality (MR), and the implementation of natural interactions in digital content is still a hurdle that content creators need to face while creating content. We are happy that Artiness trusts Interhaptics to empower their scalable surgical applications. “ Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics CEO. “The Artiness mission is to develop pioneering and reliable solutions for medical doctors, and in doing so we want to deliver our tools on high-end Mixed Reality technologies empowered by efficient and human-friendly interaction interfaces. We know for sure that Interhaptics will be part of this journey!” Filippo Piatti, Artiness CEO. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are looking to create your new Hololens 2 application and you are interested in using Interhaptics, you can contact us here. --- ### Haptics for mobile early access for Dream XR by Interhaptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-for-mobile/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-03-03 · Category: Events & Webinars > Interhaptics introduced the concept of haptic design for mobile to Dream XR and its community, and its use in both augmented and virtual reality. The two companies organised a webinar hosted by the Dream XR team back in November 2020. Interhaptics collaborated with Dream XR and gave their community early access to the newest feature of Interhaptics: Haptics for Mobile. Interhaptics introduced to Dream XR and their community the concept of haptic design for mobile and its use in both augmented reality and virtual reality. The two companies organised a webinar that the Dream XR team hosted back in November 2020. Dream XR is a community that has the sole aim of evangelizing Immersive Reality Technology whilst helping people get started with Immersive Reality Development. Eric Vezzoli along with Jatin Pawar went through introducing Haptics for mobile in XR, and the value that it brings to XR applications. For instance, increasing user engagement and UI confirmation, or notifying users without them having to look at their phone. However, the important question that we all have and what several attendees also asked is: where can we use haptic design for mobile? ##### Haptic design for mobile: use cases During Eric’s speech, he introduced five different use cases for haptics applications: UI confirmation: where users in virtual reality and augmented reality can have confirmation whilst interacting with virtual objects within the environment. For instance, virtual keyboards, buttons, or levers to mention a few. The second use case was user immersion. He explained that it is having a verity between the haptics feedback of the perception you receive when interacting with materials. For example, the feedback of different models of weapons for video games or different textures of metal for factories in a virtual environment. This is an important use case for haptics for mobile. Eric also went through the value of haptic design for mobile in remote presence, contextual awareness, and most commonly known notifications. The Notification use case is being used today by the majority of the world’s population. In the past, Apple introduced their iPhones with haptics technologies and other smartphone manufacturers soon followed. Eric explained that this technology is also in smartwatches. Having different vibrations on these devices gives you access to information without the need to see or hear your phone or smartwatch. However, the use of these features is not limited to receiving a text or call. Eric then announced the launch of a new feature of Interhaptics: Haptics for Mobile, a package for mobile developers to design, implement, and deploy haptics for mobile on both iOS and Android. Interhaptics offered early access for Dream XR and their community, announcing the closed beta testing phase for Interhaptics for Mobile on Android where developers could join in a contest. The objective was to create the best XR project. Dream XR selected the participants to win a 6 months full commercial license of the Interhaptics for Mobile. ##### The outcome of the contest was impressive for first-time users of haptic design for mobile However, three participants had outstanding projects. Ashish Dubey with his “Tickety Tickety Tick” application, where he created a mini-game to guess the number of ticks triggered as the seeker reaches the marker, as demonstrated in the video below. Eknash Mittal with his “AR Tic-Tac-Toe” application: this mini-AR game replicates the famous Tic-Tac-Toe but you only have to scan the place where you want to play, and the player will feel vibrations to confirm, as shown in this video. Finally, Siddhant Narode with his “AR Shredder” project where you move your device slowly so it can scan the surface to place a shredder and feel vibrations. There is a video to illustrate his project. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in haptic design for mobile. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. The mission of Interhaptics is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. If you are interested in collaborating with Interhaptics to create your next game using Haptic design for Mobile, you can contact us here. --- ### Interhaptics collaborates with Simon Frübis on a multisensory feedback study: haptics for VR/AR/MR URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-for-vr-ar-mr/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-02-17 · Category: Research & Science > How does multisensory feedback in hand interactions affect the feeling of embodiment in virtual and augmented reality? This is a question that Simon is currently investigating. He is a master’s student in Interaction Design, in Germany. He is passionate about immersive technologies, UI and UX design, and spatial and physical computing. Interhaptics collaborates with Simon Frübis and Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal University on multisensory feedback of haptics for VR/AR/MR. Moreover, the study looks at how to integrate sound into haptics with the Haptic Composer from Interhaptics. ##### Haptics for VR/AR/MR: the Importance of Multisensory Feedback in Spacial Computing The improvement of immersion is one of the key issues in haptics for extended reality. In a multisensory VR experience, a virtual body can be perceived as one‘s own, which is also called “Sense of Embodiment” (SoE). Through appropriate visual and tactile stimulation, this technology can be used to manipulate the sense of body possession. “The illusion of a virtual hand” and the “rubber hand” are experiments that have already proven this technology. Embodiment is a concept that refers to cognitive psychology and translates to thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and perceptions based on our sensory experiences and our body positions. To achieve this illusion, there are lots of different tools like VR gloves, bracelets, exoskeletons, or suits. These devices have been built to fill the gap between reality and virtuality. However, it cannot be denied that integration into the consumer market is difficult for various reasons (size, price, etc.). Accordingly, user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design in applications with multisensory feedback in haptics for extended reality has not been explored enough. Therefore, the collaboration with Simon Frübis will cover the integration of sound to haptics for VR/AR/MR with Interhaptics, as well as supporting the design of haptic feedback for applicable haptic devices. Simon Frübis is an interaction design student at the University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg-Stendal. In his thesis, he investigates multisensory feedback for AR and VR. By creating virtual wearables and including haptics for extended reality and audio, Simon evaluates the effects of multisensory feedback on the user experience (UX). “I see strong potential in the combination of AR with our most natural input device — our Hands. Multisensory feedback allows us to interact quickly and precisely to enable more immersive handinteractions. We still need to explore working solutions by creating a new design pattern language. Interhaptics offers a great platform and foundation to design such patterns and to identify best-practices.” Simon Frübis — passionated about interaction design, immersive technologies, spatial and physical computing. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in haptics for VR/AR/MR. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and haptic feedback development, and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. Interhaptics’ mission is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and console developer community, and the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics-enabled platform. ##### The first prototype shows how Simon integrated low-budget haptic devices into VR With the help of Interhaptics’ Haptic Composer, Simon will be able to design custom haptics for extended reality, in particular for sound-driven actuators. A device like this separates low-frequencies from audio to transform them into haptic feedback. Once placed on certain body parts, it can convince the brain that it is exposed to high acoustic energy by using the auto-completion principle. It works the same way as when you look at a picture of a sunny beach; you can almost smell sunscreen and hear the waves clashing. This is because our brain automatically retrieves the different aspects of the experience to complete it by itself. “Sound to haptic devices are the easiest entry point for OEM manufacturers in the haptics market. They are a powerful and expressive category, and we are looking forward to exploring with Simon, their ability to enhance VR experience” Eric Vezzoli — Interhaptics CEO Today, to create haptics for VR/AR/MR with Interhaptics, one creates an asset (haptic material) within the Haptic Composer which stores the representation of haptics in 4 perceptions (Vibration, Textures, Stiffness, and Thermal conductivity). The collaboration will cover the integration of sound to haptics for extended reality with Interhaptics. You can, if you want, try haptics for VR/AR/MR in our demo available on Oculus Quest. If you want to add haptics for extended reality to your projects, you can now join more than 900 students who have studied our Udemy course and start designing with Interhaptics! If you have any questions, join our haptic designer community on discord. --- ### Interhaptics partner with IDRAC BS to integrate haptic feedback in augmented reality for e-commerce URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-and-idrac-bs-for-haptic-feedback-in-augmented-reality/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-02-10 · Category: Research & Science > The objective is to study the impact of haptics on the customer purchase experience and provide actionable managerial insights for marketing managers in an era of multi-, cross- and omnichannel environments via interfaces. Interhaptics and IDRAC Business School collaborate to study the impact of haptics on E-commerce, by adding haptic feedback in augmented reality. Thanks to Interhaptics, Margot Racat, Ph.D. and Marketing Professor at IDRAC Business School, Lyon Campus, will test high-quality haptic feedback in augmented reality in a variety of e-commerce research applications. The objective is to study the impact of haptics on the customer purchase experience and provide actionable managerial insights for marketing managers in an era of multi-, cross- and omnichannel environments via interfaces. The haptics android & Iphone is also tested with the applications. When people compare the differences between offline and online shopping, they often mention the lack of authenticity of the experience, due to the importance of the touch and feel of the product. During the year 2020, the pandemic has raised further awareness about the importance of touch in everyday interactions and particularly for business interactions: salespersons and customers, product examination, information processing, etc. This sudden rise of notoriety has been coupled with the large success of the Haptics technology included in the PS5 recently released. Both concur to increase customers’ awareness and expectations of digital touch technologies. ##### Research about haptic feedback in augmented reality for e-commerce Today’s haptic feedback for augmented reality is limited, in particular for mobile devices even if haptic android & iphone are getting developped, but indications are suggesting that it can contribute to increasing the e-commerce customer experience. For instance, previous research has demonstrated the effect of tactile screen devices on customer brand engagement, choice, psychological ownership, or endowment[1]. In this research, we aim to examine how a well-designed and qualitative haptics feedback in augmented reality, via haptic rendering and haptic texturing, can increase customer engagement, experience, and purchase intention in online environments. All with respect to the visual characteristics of the product. Therefore, this collaboration aims to methodically measure the impact of haptic rendering technology and quantify its value for e-commerce experiences with real-time setup. IDRAC Business School is a French private school with 8 campus sites (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Toulouse). It offers Business and Marketing programs, with various specializations such as Management, Supply Chain, Sales and so on. Being international is a part of its DNA, with 8 associate campuses and more than 100 exchange partners in 41 countries. The Research Department is composed of full time PhD professors working on the business models of tomorrow. As one of its professors, Margot Racat, Professor of Marketing, has based her research work on the importance of sensory influence on information processing in marketing contexts. She holds a Ph.D. in marketing from University Jean Moulin Lyon 3, and her research interest includes knowledge acquisition and information processing via the human senses and within computer-mediated environments. Collaborating with Interhaptics allows a higher and up-to-date research using the latest techniques that will further integrate our shopping environments, where physical and virtual realities tend to merge. As well, this collaboration intends to deliver new, different and remarkable insights for customer experience and managers. “We consider haptics rendering and texturing techniques as a way to understand the value of the sense of touch for customers in an online shopping context. The definition of the sense of touch is still ongoing and even more with the implementation of mediated interaction and virtual environments for all aspects of life (medical, food, shopping, social interaction, etc.). The health context has changed habits and opened new perspectives for customers and businesses. We can take the example of Apple, which in the past has emphasized the touch design to become a brand asset and has now brought the latest possibilities to the customer’s hand for haptics sensation in a consumption context. Yet, the main issue to date is that most people developing haptics come from the field of computer sciences or engineering and generate a “user” understanding of haptic feedback but not social nor consumer-based related. Now, social sciences are much more involved into research on haptic as an activator for the customer. If you look at the consumer goods market, smartphones are probably the most use of mobile devices for online shopping now. Why? Because it has become over time the simplest and ‘at-hand’ interface. However, we need to understand and evaluate how much consumers can overcome the tech barrier in their use of e-commerce, same for marketing managers who need to rethink their product online strategy, especially for material-based products. We think the sense of touch is inevitable for the consumers full acceptation and adoption of online shopping via the transfer of touch sensations — whether or not related to the product tactile cues — and that’s why we use haptic rendering and texturing today, to further explore the future of touch.” Dr. Margot Racat Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and Haptic feedback in augmented reality and deployment tools for XR, mobile like haptic android & iphone, and console applications. “The value of haptics to increase customer engagement for e-commerce has been speculated for long. Thanks to Interhaptics we can provide a solid technological framework to allow researchers to study e-commerce applications of Haptics. We are looking forward to this collaboration.” Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics CEO & Founder If you have a project and would like to collaborate and integrate your devices with Interhaptics contact us here. References Brasel, S. A., & Gips, J. (2014). Tablets, touchscreens, and touchpads: How varying touch interfaces trigger psychological ownership and endowment. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(2), 226–233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2013.10.003 Brasel, S. A., & Gips, J. (2015). Interface Psychology: Touchscreens Change Attribute Importance, Decision Criteria, and Behavior in Online Choice. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(9), 534–538. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0546 Pagani, M., Racat, M., & Hofacker, C. F. (2019). Adding Voice to the Omnichannel and How that Affects Brand Trust. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 48, 89–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2019.05.002 Racat, M. (2016). L’influence de la stimulation tactile lors de l’évaluation en ligne d’un produit. University of Lyon. Racat, M., & Capelli, S. (2016). L’impact de la similarité sur l’efficacité des outils d’aide à la vente en ligne. Revue Française de Gestion, 42(254), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.3166/rfg.2016.00005 Racat, M., & Capelli, S. (2020). Haptic Sensation and Consumer Behaviour. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36922-4 Shen, H., Zhang, M., & Krishna, A. (2016). Computer Interfaces and the “Direct-Touch” Effect: Can iPads Increase the Choice of Hedonic Food? Journal of Marketing Research, 53(5), 745–758. --- ### Tactile Internet and 5G: Why Interhaptics Haptic Technologies are Essential? URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/tactile-internet-and-5g-why-interhaptics-haptic-technologies-are-essential/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-01-20 · Category: Industry Insight > What is tactile internet? Pf. Gerhard Fettweis from the Technical University of Dresden proposed the concept of tactile internet in 2014. As per tactile internet definition, it identifies a technological framework made possible by 5G’s ultra-low latencies. It allows having an end-to-end connection between two humans or one human and one real or simulated machine. With the upcoming deployment of 5G networks across the world, the concept of the tactile internet starts to have a solid infrastructure layer to build upon. Thus, there is a future for haptic technologies. What is tactile internet? Pf. Gerhard Fettweis from the Technical University of Dresden proposed the concept of tactile internet in 2014. As per tactile internet definition, it identifies a technological framework made possible by 5G’s ultra-low latencies. It allows having an end-to-end connection between two humans or one human and one real or simulated machine. ###### Tactile internet use-cases include: – Remote presence (Human-Agent to Human-Agent in VR / AR),– Telerobotics (Human-Agent to Slave Robot),– Remote Cobotics (Human-Agent to Robot Agent)– Extended Reality (Human-Agent to Virtual Slave/Agent) The key aspect to consider is the end-to-end latency between agents. The latency must be below the human perception for proprioceptive/tactile perception latency in the function of the use cases. Simply put, the user should not perceive the communication delay, and everything should feel real-time. One of the major tactile internet applications is the tactile internet of things (IoT) that allows people to control systems remotely, creating a new generation of cyber-physical systems, with the support of haptic technologies. ###### Why Should a Consumer or Business Care About the Tactile Internet? The tactile internet 5G infrastructure will generate a major shift in how users consume and interact with content. The main reason why virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets today are bulky or need computing pack is to respect ultrafast latencies. The computing must happen on the device. 4G networks do not allow to receive an immersive interaction of the user, compute the content, and send it back to the user machine without the consumer noticing the latency. 5G will allow the creation of portable, lightweight, and immersive virtual reality and augmented reality displays. It will achieve so by offloading the computational power to beefy cloud servers running 3D content simulations or connecting with a remote agent. ###### What Does Interhaptics Have to Do With 5G Tactile Internet? The video and audio spatial content industry are well developed through the gaming industry. Cloud streaming allows users to play their favorite game on smartphones directly from the cloud. Today, this is possible because the latencies necessary to have a satisfactory PC gaming experience are compatible with the latencies of fiber. The situation changes when considering the tactile perspective. Touch is intrinsically a bi-directional sense. This means that touch has an interaction-feedback duality that involves human interaction as much as tactile feedback. With the implementation of the tactile internet and centralized simulations, we are dramatically exposed to the incapability of different platforms and devices to interoperate on the same content or transfer meaningful tactile feedback coming from an interaction of a human or robot. Here is where Interhaptics shines. Interhaptics includes a multiplatform spatial haptics renderer. It allows the seamless creation of rich tactile sensations as a function of human interactions. Moreover, it translates these sensations into the language of any haptic technologies under the sun. You can discover more about the technological stack of Interhaptics here. Interhaptics will drastically unblock the power of touch for the tactile internet. ###### What Sensations can Interhaptics Haptic Technologies Give to the Tactile Internet? Interhaptics haptic technologies build upon four core human perceptions. – Textures– Forces (such as stiffness)– Temperatures (such as heat)– Vibration patterns These haptics perceptions can be created in real-time within interactive content and shared on any haptic technologies. These four perceptions are the feelings that the tactile internet can have, thanks to Interhaptics. ###### The Role of Interhaptics in Introducing Haptics Standard for Interoperability We are actively working in collaboration with the Haptics Industry Forum to introduce an accepted standard for haptics signal. Interhaptics haptic technologies are already compliant with the upcoming Phase 1 MPEG standards. The tactile internet requires what is described as the Phase 2 standards. We provide a solid foundation to build the Phase 2 standards for haptics-enabled interactive content. We are factually already doing what the Phase 2 standards will describe a few years down the road. Want your solution to have a feeling? Get in contact. Interhaptics will help you design and add the haptics to your use-cases! --- ### Haptics for VR/AR/MR: best practices & use cases URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-for-vr-ar-mr-best-practices-and-use-cases/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-01-06 · Category: Industry Insight > Haptics includes the perceptions of touch and all the technologies to recreate digital touch sensations. There are a lot and not all of them are useful for XR use cases. Haptics can enhance your XR experience if they are used properly. Haptics for VR/AR/MR includes the perceptions of touch and all the technologies to recreate digital touch sensations. There are a lot and not all of them are useful for XR use cases. Haptics for extended reality can enhance your XR experience if it is used properly. If done right, haptics for extended reality can increase user engagement and immersion, as well as the sense of presence. It can also decrease user fatigue and dizziness caused by an imbalance of perceptions between reality and the virtual world. It impacts positively effectiveness, for example for XR training. ##### Use cases of haptics for extended reality To be more practical, we can illustrate the theory with use cases of haptics for VR/AR/MR. There are five generic ones: – User interface feedback and confirmation– User immersion– Remote presence– User awareness– Notifications About UI confirmation, we can take the example of buttons or keyboards in real life. They give touch feedback as a confirmation to the user after the interaction. Therefore, by integrating haptics for extended reality, this feedback can be reproduced, and therefore, enhance the UX. To illustrate user immersion, here is a basic example is the recoil of a weapon when a shot is fired in an XR game. If the user can feel this haptic feedback, then the experience is even more immersive. It also gives the opportunity to enrich haptic textures with specific perceptions. When it comes to remote presence, it is about trying to compensate for the presence of another individual, for example when hugging someone or shaking hands. This is an important feature of haptics for VR/AR/MR. For awareness, this is referring to the context and the virtual environment. Awareness in haptics for extended reality can be used to give directions to the user or warn him that something is happening. It acts almost like a 6th sense. Indeed, information are supplied to the user through the sense of touch, without overcharging sight or hearing. Finally, there are notifications, and it is probably the most obvious and simple one. We almost all have a smartphone in our pocket and have therefore experienced haptic feedback through it. Well, it works just the same for XR. Haptics for VR/AR/MR could be a way to give notifications to the user about events happening. You can, if you want, try haptics for extended reality in our demo available on Oculus Quest. If you want to add haptics for VR/AR/MR to your projects, you can now join more than 900 students who studied our Udemy course and start designing with Interhaptics! If you have any questions, join our haptic designer community on discord. --- ### 2020, a year of haptics success for the Interhaptics team URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/2020-a-year-of-haptics-success-for-the-interhaptics-team/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2021-01-01 · Category: Announcement > This year has been very different in all kinds of ways, and it will definitely be remembered for all kinds of reasons. The month of December is the ideal time to step back and reflect on how far we have come. And about Interhaptics, we have come a long way. This year has been very different in all kinds of ways, and it will definitely be remembered for all kinds of reasons. The month of December is the ideal time to step back and reflect on how far we have come. And about Interhaptics, we have come a long way. It all started with one mission: creating a haptic ecosystem. Interhaptics wants to enable creators and users to implement and experience the wonderful haptics across all technologies and platforms. This is how the creation of Interhaptics started, and we named our product as INTERchangable HAPTICS to stress the need for a Haptics ecosystem. To celebrate, what could be better than rewinding this year full of emotions? ##### Haptic technologies: the year of Interhaptics In February 2020, the Interhaptics beta launched. More than 250 creators participated in the 7-month long period to refine our product and get it ready for the real launch. They shared great feedback and insight on how to use Haptics in XR and helped us understand how both haptic technologies and interactions are linked in the perception of creators and users. In March 2020, Interhaptics was accepted to join Oculus ISV Program and was able to play a part in the pre-release testing of the Oculus Quest 2. It was a great opportunity to see what was upcoming and prepare for the real scale-up of VR thanks to this kind of wonderful haptic technologies. In September 2020 we launched the commercial release of Interhaptics after a long beta testing period. The team could not be prouder. The launch marked the first multiplatform haptics and interaction design system on the market. In October 2020, SenseGlove and Interhaptics partnered to streamline haptics development for exoskeletons. This is our first public collaboration and one of the first steps towards the creation of a Haptics ecosystem. We are committed to empower the ecosystem to grow, and the basis is to create solid learning material for creators on haptic technologies. Therefore, we launched the first haptic design course in the world with remarkable responses from the community. More than 900 students subscribed it to date. In November 2020, Interhaptics announced a lot of exciting news. Starting with the fact that it will support hand tracking interactions design for Hololens 2, which is one of the major XR platforms used in business applications. Second, Interhaptics came with the launch of the beta for mobile haptic design for Android phones. Smartphones are the largest haptic technologies in the world and creators do not really have powerful creation tools for Haptics. Finally, after the announcement of the release of Sony’s PlayStation 5, and its high-performance controllers, Interhaptics also announced that it will be compatible with the console’s haptic technologies. Game developers will soon be able to easily create, design, render and deploy haptic material using Interhaptics’ Haptics Composer on all 4 actuators. All in a few clicks in early 2021. Lots of Christmas gifts also in December! Our ambition to create an ecosystem picked the interest of Sensoryx, which is partnering with us to provide great interaction design capabilities for VRfree gloves. This will be a great tool for practical training for Mixed Reality use case, where real and virtual objects need to co-exist to give a great experience to the users. More recently, Interhaptics and Innoactive announced their partnership around haptic design and hand-tracking for Innoactive’s Creator (read article). Innoactive plays a fundamental role in providing a platform and tools to ease the production of scenarios for VR training in enterprises. Interhaptics will bring the implementation of believable interactions through hand tracking, and haptic technologies. This will give a great advantage for accessibility and user engagement during the training. We could not be more excited to start the year 2021. The Haptics ecosystem is responding to our mission, and we are looking forward to sharing with you a lot of exciting developments in the upcoming year. With Love, The Interhaptics Team. Join the discord Contact us --- ### Interhaptics & Innoactive partner to focus on Haptics for virtual training URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-innoactive-partner-to-focus-on-haptics-for-virtual-training/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-12-21 · Category: Partnerships > Innoactive and Interhaptics decided to partner to allow all the Creator users to easily implement haptics feedback design and hand interactions within their training project while maintaining compatibility with all the controllers currently on the market. This December Interhaptics and Innoactive are announcing a partnership that will bring haptic design and hand-tracking interactions into Innoactive’s Creator. The collaboration will focus on haptics for virtual training. Haptics for virtual training is gaining momentum in the industrial sector. Indeed, an ever-increasing segment of industrial players is implementing virtual reality training programs within their organizations. Haptics and hand tracking interactions can bring a lot of value to virtual training users through increased accessibility and learning reinforcement. This is even more relevant with the widespread adoption of the Oculus Quest 2, natively equipped with hand-tracking capabilities. For this reason, Innoactive and Interhaptics decided to partner to allow all the Creator users to easily implement haptics feedback design and hand interactions within their training project while maintaining compatibility with all the controllers currently on the market. The partnership will allow Interhaptics’ advanced haptics company partners, to be natively supported within the Innoactive Creator, and to all their users to access an ever-increasing group of advanced hand tracking and haptics devices to enrich their training content. ##### The Interhaptics and Innoactive Partnership Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics for virtual training and other sectors. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and Haptics feedback development, and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. The mission of Interhaptics is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and consoles developer community, and the interoperability of haptics enabled content across any haptics enabled platform. “We’re seeing VR training become more realistic. Our customers ask us about creating engaging training scenarios that have precise hand interactions. By partnering with Interhaptics can now easily integrate extra features into the VR training applications they build with the Innoactive Creator.“ Graham Breen, Business Development and Partnerships Lead Innoactive is the leading European VR software company that helps enterprises to transform employee training with VR as well as standardize and scale the creation of real-time VR learning experiences. The Volkswagen Group, Linde, Lufthansa, BSH (Bosch Siemens Hausgeraete), Fraport, and AeroGround are some of the visionary customers trusting Innoactive. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Innoactive and integrate their Creator. Innoactive is among the leaders of virtual professional training design, and the implementation of hands interaction and Haptics will create a terrific value for virtual professional training users.” Eric Vezzoli, Haptics Architect at Interhaptics ##### Why haptics for virtual training? VR training has gained popularity in the past years, however today it has become an essential form of training for most of the industrial sector. Innoactive has played a great part in providing a platform and tools to ease the production of VR scenarios. The company created the Innoactive Creator which is essentially a visual designer for VR training applications where users can design a project’s workflow. In early 2020 with the hype of hand tracking in VR applications and with the increased need of using a hand-tracking system, Interhaptics launched its tools. They support Ultraleap’s Leap Motion, HTC VIVE, Oculus Quest, and Hololens 2 hand tracking systems. Interhaptics applications, the Interaction builder and the Haptic Composer, will be integrated within Innoactive Creator. Through this integration, users will be able to implement interactions through hand tracking or controllers. Moreover, they will implement haptics via controllers and eventually 3rd party haptic devices, such as SenseGlove exoskeleton, in addition to agnostic support for unity builds and VR projects. ###### What you need to know about haptics in the Creator How can we use the haptics for virtual training and hand tracking in the Creator? Adding the Interhaptics integration allows you to use predefined hand interaction and add them to your VR training application with one click in our graphical user interface. You can use Interhaptics Interaction Builder and Haptic Composer to build your own interactions, add them to the Creator once, and use them seamlessly in the Creator UI as well. How does that change for existing projects made with the Creator? Not at all, it’s totally optional. You can also add the integration to existing projects and directly enjoy your VR application with hand interaction or haptics for virtual training. How can I find out more? Find out more about the new opportunities in the webinar or connect with us directly: https://www.innoactive.io/contact ###### Register in advance for the Innoactive and Interhaptics webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUocO6tpjMqEtAYTyDfMqy9BXYPUrhAaZrE --- ### THE HAPTICS STACK WITH INTERHAPTICS: HAPTIC FEEDBACK DESIGN URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/the-haptics-stack-with-interhaptics-haptic-feedback-design/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-12-02 · Category: Product Update > Haptics is ongoing a second renaissance in the latest year, with several markets implementing haptics technologies to solve different human interaction challenges. We see today haptics technologies in automotive, gaming, IoT, Virtual and augmented reality, wearable, smartphones, and other related markets. Haptics has been living a second renaissance in the last year, with several markets implementing haptic feedback technologies to solve different human interaction challenges. Today, we see haptic feedback design technologies applied to automotive, gaming, IoT, Virtual and augmented reality, wearable, smartphones, and other related markets. These markets are sustained by a great availability of large bandwidth haptics actuators. With the upcoming arrival of promising full bandwidth technologies like piezoelectric, ultrasonic, or electroadhesion haptics technologies, OEMs and device manufacturers are planning more ambitious haptics roadmaps and implementations. Often, this promising opportunity is faced with the challenge of practically implement haptic feedback design solutions within products. A satisfactory haptics experience is composed of several key elements that are dependent on human cognition, user experience design, hardware, firmware implementation among them. One of the key points to take into considerations while considering the design of a product with haptic feedback is the haptics technological stack. I will share here a brief recap of this key blog post from Chris Ulrich, CTO of Immersion Corporation. A high-level analysis of the current haptics stack can be visualized in the following slide. The stack is characterized by a verticalization of software and design process for the underlying APIs and codecs. This was sufficient in an era where the number of haptic feedback applications was limited to mobile phones and a few others, with limited expressivity capability of the ERM haptics actuators. Great haptic feedback design experiences were reserved for researchers or R&D departments. With the current implementation of large bandwidth haptics actuators within different platforms we are seeing a great segmentation of the software implementations within the haptics stack. Just to name a few we have: Apple: Core haptics (Mid 2019) Google: Android Vibrate (Various iterations) Khronos: Open XR 1.0 (Kronos) (Oculus quest is doing its own thing) Any other haptic feeback device manufacturer has proprietary SDKs and APIs that participate in the segmentation of the ecosystem. Count here each one of the 10 different Haptics exoskeletons for XR, the PS5, the Nintendo Switch, and many other devices, from university labs up to the most well-founded haptics startup. What is key to understand about these APIs is that they fulfill the same role. They cover the functionality to implement a haptic feedback experience in a digital medium. What they are factually generating is a great fragmentation of the ecosystem where the codec, creation tools, and design guidelines are scrambled. This was the starting point for Interhaptics, and this is the problem that Interhaptics was born to solve with haptic feedback design. Interhaptics replaces the Haptics language, Codec, and Verticalised Design tools for unique haptics platforms. We reach this milestone by including a specific Haptics Rendering software that synthesizes the haptic feedback during the execution of the digital application, mobile gaming explosions feeling? No problem! Nothing is pre-compiled or stored in libraries, everything happens in real-time. Get an exoskeleton with 30 actuators between force feedback, LRAs, and Peltier cells? Again, no problem. Interhaptics runs with 4 perceptual haptics rendering processes in parallel. You get Force Feedback, spatial texture rendering, vibration pattern rendering, and heat transfer control. The haptics technology stack including Interhaptics is much more similar to audio or video technology stacks, where editing and rendering software are generic and independent from the underlying hardware technology. In audio and video, rendering is based on human perception. We did the same for haptics. This cornerstone piece of technology allowed us to obtain 3 goals: - Interhaptics is independent of specific haptics APIs. The same haptics software runs iOS haptics, Android, or XR applications. You get a 0dB, real-time rendered, full bandwidth haptics signal ready to be communicated to your devices. Even better, you get the prediction and refresh of the haptics signal for the upcoming application frames. So 0 latency. The signal management you have to implement resides on logical conditions to meet specific API constructs. It is always easier to filter a full bandwidth signal. 2. The Haptics composer can create haptics experiences for any haptics device. Even the latest fancy piezoelectric actuator can be a user at its maximum capability. We have a community of creators using the haptics composer, tons of documentation, and learning resources. These cover and will cover design guidelines for the different haptic feedback applications on the market. Do you want a dev kit for a new haptic feedback technology? Get it integrated with Interhaptics, and ship it to your customers. 3. Deploy haptics software at scale Interhaptics software architecture is modular and developed to be deployed at scale. You can get a great haptics experience in the lab, or on millions of devices in the hands of the customer. The time is mature for the Haptics industry to grow up and enable designers and creators to leverage the wonderful communication potential that Haptics technology owns. Interhaptics wants to play a major role in this process by enabling OEMs and haptic feedback technology manufacturers to implement great haptics, cut costs, and reach a larger community. We are doing it right now, check out our work with Senseglove. We are doing it in the Haptics Industry Forum association, working to define the haptics standards and leading the haptic feedback design section. Want to do haptics? Get in contact. --- ### Interhaptics latest feature of hand tracking for extended reality: the Snapping URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-latest-feature-of-hand-tracking-for-extended-reality-the-snapping/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-11-25 · Category: Product Update > We are introducing Interhaptics newest feature on the Interaction Builder: the snapping. And what difference does it make? Well, you will be able to create ever more realistic and accurate hand tracking interactions. Adding a haptic layer to these interactions will only increase the immersion level of any solution. Interhaptics is a software company specialized in Haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions and Haptics feedback development. Moreover, it provides deployment tools for extended reality, mobile, and console applications. This November, we are introducing Interhaptics newest feature of hand tracking for extended reality on the Interaction Builder: the snapping. What difference does it make? Well, you will be able to create ever more realistic and accurate interactions of hand tracking for VR/AR/MR. Adding a haptic layer to these interactions will increase the immersion level of any solution. The Interaction Builder already includes a wide range of interaction primitives that you can use to enhance your hand-tracking for extended reality. Among them, you can find different hand manipulations like grabbing, moving, rotating, or sliding objects. Today we are here to expand the interactions portfolio and to introduce a new feature of hand tracking for VR/AR/MR: the Snapping. By adding it to the library, it will increase the haptic experience quality. The newly introduced Snapping feature in the Interaction Builder allows the customization of the hand pose or gesture in the interaction. The user can precisely place each finger and the whole hand around the shape of virtual objects as one does in real life. ##### What is the problem it is addressing in hand tracking for VR/AR/MR? With interactions in XR, and especially with hand tracking for extended reality, the objective is to make it “feel” right. In order to achieve that, the virtual world you are interacting with should be as close to the real world as possible. This means visually, audibly, and tactile-wise. In practice, for haptics, it means adding haptic feedback to enhance realism and immersion. For visual, this means matching the body movement in real life and in the virtual experience. Indeed, users need to experience what is naturally expected, in order to believe it and make the whole experience more realistic. Let’s take a use case of a training session where the user is learning how to use specific equipment, like a dashboard. In this context, you will see your hand curling up around the steering wheel, just like you are doing in real life. Interactions feel much more natural and they behave as the user is expecting them to behave. Therefore, this sort of hand tracking for VR/AR/MR increases the immersion of the end-user. ##### The snapping: the latest hand tracking for extended reality Interhaptics latest feature of hand tracking for extended reality, the snapping, will perfectly fit in any XR experience that requires hand manipulations. For example, during VR training, sports simulation, gaming, or even showrooms, the way the hand is placed to grip a lever will be reproduced almost as in reality. It is the same when the fingers are grabbing a handle to carry out an action. As our previous features, the sapping will be available cross-platform, on all Interhaptics supported tracking devices including Oculus Quest, Ultraleap, and HoloLens 2. It will also support Unity 3D engine’s latest version Unity 2020+. All will be included inside the Interhaptics suite. We cannot wait to see all your amazing hand tracking for VR/AR/MR created with Interhaptics. If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics and integrate or hand-tracking for extended reality or haptic devices, you can contact us directly here. Stay tuned to all exciting and new announcements follow us and make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. --- ### Interhaptics announce haptic feedback design for PS5, Mobile, and integration with Hololens 2 URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-announce-haptic-feedback-design-for-ps5-mobile-and-integration-with-hololens-2/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-11-18 · Category: Announcement > Interhaptics was released to the public in September 2020. It supports an extensive list of XR controllers, hand tracking systems, and haptic devices. Today, we announce Interhaptics for PS5, Mobile, and Hololens 2. Interhaptics is a Haptics software company specializing in tools for haptic feedback design and rendering. Moreover, the company focuses on hand tracking interactions for digital platforms as Mobile, XR, and consoles. ###### We are announcing today – Integration of Interhaptics with Hololens– Haptic feedback design for all mobile phones early 2021– Upcoming Haptic feedback design for PS5 in 2021 Interhaptics was released to the public in September 2020. It supports an extensive list of XR controllers, hand tracking systems, and haptic devices. Indeed, today the tool covers both Windows-based and Android-based XR devices. The peripherals supported span from Oculus and Ultraleap Hand tracking, to Go Touch VR haptics devices and all commercial XR controllers. With the release of Facebook’s latest creation, the Quest 2 in October 2020, Interhaptics is already supporting the device for both hand tracking and haptic feedback design. ##### Interhaptics for Hololens 2 One of the major XR platforms used in business applications is Microsoft Hololens 2. We are proud to announce that Interhaptics will support hand tracking interactions design for Hololens 2 by the end of November 2020. The HoloLens 2 has a higher hand tracking precision compared to other windows-based VR devices. Interhaptics provides solid hand interaction performances, which complement smoothly Microsoft MRTK for interactions. Thus, Interhaptics creators will have the ability to deploy their projects to another platform. HoloLens 2 users in the industrial & healthcare market can leverage the powerful interaction engine of Interhaptics to naturally manipulate virtual objects. Interhaptics will optimize the immersive experience for the end-user, whether they are using Hololens 2 for training or design. MR content will be more impactful with Interhaptics. ##### Haptic feedback for Mobile The largest haptics market in the world is the smartphones market! Interhaptics will release the design of haptics feedback with mobile compatibility in early 2021. Haptic feedback and interactions enabled content is consumed in a huge number of devices (the active smartphones in 2020 are 4.2B according to Newzoo, most of them with AR capabilities). Creating haptic experiences and having precise haptic feedback in over 4 billion devices worldwide will be a game-changer in optimizing the user experience for AR and mobile applications. Interhaptics is happy to announce that it will support haptic feedback design for both Android and IOS. We are opening a new level of immersion in the Mobile gaming industry or where your imagination takes you. Feel explosions, swordplay, precise controls, and texture feeling thanks to haptic feedback. These are some of the use cases that Interhaptics allows for mobile gaming. All are already included in Unity. Interhaptics is expecting to release a beta of its haptic feedback design tool for mobile by the end of 2020 and launching the new platforms in Q1 of 2021. ##### Interhaptics for PS5 Dualsense The haptics industry is at a great hype after the announcement of the release of Sony’s latest gaming console, the Playstation 5. This next-generation PS5 has expanded the use of haptic feedback in the gaming industry. It shook the market with its high-performance controllers. The Dualsense is equipped with 4 haptics actuators, 2 for force haptic feedback or stiffness, and the 2 with large bandwidth vibrations immersing the players in the gaming experience. Interhaptics will be compatible with the PlayStation 5’s haptics. Thus, game developers will soon be able to easily create, design, render and deploy haptic feedback material using Interhaptics’s Haptics Composer on all 4 actuators. All in a few clicks. The expected release of PS5 on Interhaptics will be on H1 of 2021. If you would like to collaborate with Interhaptics and contribute to the haptic community, you can contact us directly here. Stay tuned to all exciting and new announcement follow us on social media channels and make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. --- ### Interhaptics join ISV Program to empower haptic feedback for Oculus Quest URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-joins-oculus-isv-program-and-already-supports-the-quest-2/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-11-06 · Category: Partnerships > In March 2020 Interhaptics was accepted to join Oculus ISV Program and was able to play a part in the pre-release testing of the Oculus Quest 2. Interhaptics allows users to create haptic material, implement haptic feedback for Oculus Quest and others, hand tracking, and 3D interactions. Moreover, it allows the deployment to all XR applications cross-platform. By using the development suite, the VR experience is no longer limited by the headset that you or your clients prefer. The Oculus Quest 1 has had a great success as an all-in-one standalone headset. Furthermore, the release of the hand tracking on the Quest made it one of the favorites in the market. It was only a matter of time before Facebook surprised us with a new VR headset that will again shake the market. The release of the Oculus Quest 2 has shown us the powerful role that hand tracking plays in the user experience. Moreover, we need to mention the great impact we get from the haptic feedback for Oculus Quest controllers. Interhaptics support all Oculus headsets including Facebook’s latest masterpiece: the Oculus Quest 2. ##### Haptic feedback for Oculus Quest Interhaptics CEO Eric Vezzoli says: “The Quest is the leading virtual reality platform today, and they are investing heavily in haptics and hand interaction technologies. We are thrilled to be in the ISV program and bring value to their members”. Indeed, in March 2020 Interhaptics joined the Oculus ISV Program and was able to play a role in the pre-release testing of the Oculus Quest 2. Considering that the focus of Interhaptics are hand tracking and haptic feedback for Oculus Quest and others, we paid more attention to these two items during the testing. All Interhaptics demos were deployed to the Oculus Quest 2 without any troubles. Furthermore, we were able to notice the Quest vast improvement in the graphical quality as well as hand tracking. Interhaptics will continue to explore and test the capability of the haptics performance on the Oculus controllers and share them within the Oculus ISV Program and Interhaptics community. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics. Interhaptics provides hand interactions, and haptic feedback for Oculus Quest and others. Moreover, it provides deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. The mission of Interhaptics is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. We will achieve this mission through top tier development tools for XR, mobile, and consoles developer community. Furthermore, we allow the interoperability of haptics enabled content across any haptics enabled platform. If you want to use Interhaptics for haptic design on Oculus Quest, check this page. --- ### Senseglove & Interhaptics partner to streamline haptic design for exoskeletons URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/senseglove-and-interhaptics-partner-to-streamline-haptic-design-for-exoskeletons/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-10-14 · Category: Partnerships > VR haptics is not only about hardware. Engaging applications with realistic interactions require development efforts. That could be time-consuming, especially if you are not a proficient Unity developer! The sense of touch is an essential step in enhancing virtual reality immersion. Streamlining the development and integration of haptics and interactions is a necessary step to scale the use of Haptics in digital content. Moreover, it is fundamental to include a haptic device that can raise the immersion of any XR project. Therefore, Senseglove and Interhaptics are collaborating to enhance XR content, and particularly haptic design for exoskeletons. Senseglove offers a haptic device inspired to the hand biology, which provides the force, vibrotactile feedbacks, and motion tracking. In addition, Interhaptics provides top tier development and deployment software for interactions, hand tracking, and haptic feedback. The result of this collaboration is a fantastic haptic design for exoskeletons. ##### Interhaptics, an haptic design tool Eric Vezzoli, Interhaptics CEO & Founder said: “We are excited to work with Senseglove. The Senseglove exoskeleton is at the bleeding edge of Haptics technology for XR training and simulations applications. This collaboration will contribute to our vision of democratizing the touch sense across all digital platforms.” VR haptics is not only about hardware. Engaging applications with realistic interactions require development efforts. That could be time-consuming, especially if you are not a proficient Unity developer! Interhaptics provides hand interactions, haptics feedback development and deployment tools. In order to simplify this process for researchers and developers, Senseglove will be integrated with Interhaptics to improve haptic design for exoskeletons. The collaboration will deliver a drag and drop approach for designing haptics and interaction scenarios and may save up to 90% of the development time. ##### Senseglove, haptic device & exoskeleton provider Gijs den Butter, SenseGlove CEO stated: “Standardising haptic interactions can only be achieved when working together. Therefore, SenseGlove collaborates with Interhaptics, with their intuitive composer Interhaptics has the potential to transform the XR haptics world and help SenseGlove dream come true: make touch in VR affordable for every professional use-case”. Senseglove builds and provides haptic gloves for training, XR simulations, and research. Since 2017, they have merged the connection between the digital world and our reality by developing and providing accessible and intuitive XR devices. Indeed, their devices generate a large variety of tactile effects and increase immersion into your XR experiences. By adding haptic design for exoskeletons, SenseGlove enables natural interactions in spatial computing, resulting in a new digital reality that is accessible for every professional. Interhaptics is a software company specializing in Haptics, and haptic design for exoskeletons. Interhaptics provides hand interactions, haptics feedback development and deployment tools for extended reality and mobile applications. The mission of Interhaptics is to enable the growth of a scalable haptics ecosystem. Interhaptics strives to deliver top-notch development tools for the XR, mobile, and consoles developer community. Moreover, it aims to the interoperability of haptics-enabled content across any haptics enabled platforms. If you want to collaborate with Interhaptics to design haptics for your device or exoskeletons, contact us here. --- ### Interhaptics Celebrates the Success of BETA URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/interhaptics-celebrates-the-success-of-beta-the-next-generation-of-haptic-technologies/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-09-08 · Category: Product Update > The AR / VR development community has embraced Interhaptics. Its open beta program has delivered powerful tools to help create the next — generation of immersive content. The AR / VR development community has embraced Interhaptics. Its open beta program has delivered powerful haptic tools to help create the next generation of immersive content. August 8, 2020 Immersive applications and mobile developers are facing the challenge to develop for haptics. Moreover, they are requested to create immersive interactions across many devices and user interfaces. The results are often poor, with verticalized implementations with high development costs and little value for the final user. Fortunately, a smart solution to this problem is available for developers: the haptic technologies of Interhaptics. ##### The beta version of Interhaptics for haptic design Interhaptics addresses this problem with a powerful graphical development tool for haptics designer. The tool is compatible with every consumer device, and it includes a haptic interaction creator cross-compatible between different hand tracking methods. Recently, the haptic company celebrated the success of its open beta program within the developer community, where it has received a fantastic response. Indeed, Interhaptics has been in open beta since mid-February 2020, with over 200 downloads and over 300 registered developers, including a number of very high-profile companies. The enthusiasm surrounding the haptics developer tools is high and rising. The full launch of its haptics development suite is planned for September 2020. The first XR markets which will benefit from the haptic technologies of Interhaptics are the gaming and training industries. “3 B humans have a haptics device in their pocket, and no one is really leveraging it,” commented Eric Vezzoli, CEO and Founder of the company. “Interhaptics is going to change that. We empower digital creators to engage on a deeper level with their customers through the sense of touch. Humans use hands since they were born. We empower creators in including believable and stable hand interactions within their digital applications.” Zlatko Vidrih, Interhaptics Co-Founder, added quite passionately, “At Interhaptics we believe that the XR content developers should focus on implementation of the use cases, and not on interaction mechanics. Our vision is to provide the interaction and haptics design tools to ease and speed up the development and deployment processes.” ##### The story of the haptic technologies of Interhaptics Founded in 2017, Interhaptics conducted a successful fundraiser for a million dollars, with the mission to deliver consistent, realistic, and immersive haptic solutions for XR and mobile developers. It aims to provide them with the essential haptics tools to increase the value of their final product with guaranteed quality, faster development, and cross-platform deployment. Choose your package and start now to develop amazing haptics and hand tracking experiences! --- ### VRTK VS INTERACTION BUILDER (Hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/hand-interactions-tools-for-vr-ar-mr-vrtk-vs-interaction-builder/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-07-15 · Category: Industry Insight > VRTK is one, if not the most well-known, open-source toolkit for VR solutions creation. It is currently in beta for its 4th major version. Following, you will find a breakdown of its characteristics, and a full comparison between the interaction builder and the VRTK. VRTK is probably the most known open-source toolkit for VR solutions creation. It is currently in the beta process of its 4th major version. In the next paragraphs, you will find a breakdown of its characteristics, and full a comparison between two hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR: interaction builder and the VRTK. ##### Specifications of VRTK & INTERHAPTICS hand interaction tools ###### VRTK list of scripts & modules ###### Interaction Builder architecture ###### General Features VRTK is a comprehensive and complete development framework for XR applications. Indeed, it includes a lot of features and scripts to address the development needs. The drawback are the steep learning curve, and the legacy development mechanism to fully understand the whole architecture. Moreover, a lot of these scripts are utility scripts for specific needs. This means that you do not necessarily need to know everything to be able to build your VR solution. One part of the characteristics of this hand interactions tool for VR/AR/MR is its management of the project/scene for specific platforms (Oculus, Vive, etc.). It is required to set up tracking, bindings, and several SDKs if you want to work on multiple platforms. Like every open source project, several of its scripts are interdependent and they require some time to fully understand how to combine them. On the other hand, the second hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR is the Interaction Builder. Compared to VRTK, as we specified in our MRTK comparison, the tool has far smaller architecture. Indeed, it removes the extra utility tools to focus on an interaction development system, which is easy to use. The system is completely focused on a painless and streamlined development process. Furthermore, you can port your application in 2 clicks between several different XR platforms. ###### Hand Tracking Thanks to the release of the Oculus Quest, one of the most popular UI in XR today is the hand tracking input. VRTK, as other existing hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR, is built around logic input from controllers. The system is technically compatible with hand tracking, but it is not natively supported. Developers need to build or find an extra module to make the bridge between the analogic hand tracking and the logic controller input. The Interaction Builder is built specifically for hands interaction, which makes the integration of hand tracking, snapping, grabbing much easier. It now supports Oculus Quest, HTC Vive and UltraLeap (former Leap Motion) systems of skeletal hand tracking. Thus, it is great for interactions based on realistic, and customizable, hand poses. This allows Interhaptics to cross-compile between platforms. Indeed, the same application is compatible with hand tracking and controllers without any issue. ###### Interaction Technology The VRTK is it is pretty similar to the VR Interaction Framework comparison. Indeed, this hand interactions tool for VR/AR/MR proposes a simple grabbing system. This system can be coupled with the physic engine of Unity, in order to define the desired behavior of the interaction you are creating. Moreover, the VRTK proposes pre-made assets to skip the setup of specific interactions (like doors, drawers, etc.). However, to fully manage your creative and development process, it is necessary to learn how to use joints. Furthermore, you need to deal with physics to create the specific interaction you want. The implementation of physics in the process implicates that you pay attention to the system physics to avoid any stability issues. On the other hand, the Interaction Builder is based on a logic engine. Thus, it avoids the learning curve of the physics implementation, without giving up the extreme customization of your creations. The hand interactions tool for VR/AR/MR includes the precise mathematical definition of how several interactions will behave in the 3D environment. This allows Interhaptics to include a more advanced event system due to logic-based interactions. To add more details, VRTK includes start interaction and end interaction events. However, the Interaction Builder covers everything that happens between the start and the end: constraints reached, target reached, the specific value on a slider, etc. Click here for more information! ###### Comparison table between VRTK and INTERHAPTICS The VRTK suffered from a loss of popularity and slow development progress. Nowadays, it is a bit behind comparable hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR (for instance the VR Interaction Framework or MRTK) in terms of features and UX. However, the 4th version which is currently under development will add new functionalities. Thus, good things might appear in the future to restore VRTK’s notoriety. If you are not planning to develop for hand tracking, it is still an efficient toolkit to use with large platform incompatibilities. If you are looking for an easier and simpler development solution that is specifically built to meet new technologies such as hand tracking, choose Interhaptics. Develop your experience & deploy it everywhere in a few clicks! --- ### MRTK VS INTERACTION BUILDER (Hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/mrtk-vs-interaction-builder/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-06-24 · Category: Industry Insight > The Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK) is a reference in the world of XR interactions and UI creation for both VR and AR (specifically for HoloLens). It is a solid system that works across many platforms and provides various tools to help you create your XR experience. However, depending on your project, it might not meet your expectations or needs. Today, we will cover some key points of MRTK and compare them to their counterparts in the Interaction Builder by Interhaptics. The Mixed Reality Toolkit (MRTK) is a reference in the world of hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR, and specifically for Hololens. It is a solid system working on many platforms and providing various tools to help you create your XR experience. However, depending on your project it might not fit properly with your expectations or needs. Today we will discuss some key points of MRTK, while comparing them to their opposite key points from the Interaction Builder by Interhaptics. These two hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR share many features but they also strongly differ in term of concepts and what they are built for. ##### Specifications of MRTK & Interhaptics Let’s start by explaining the main difference between MRTK and Interaction Builder: the kind of content you can use it for. Indeed, both are for “interactions” in XR, but it is not the same concept of “interactions”. MRTK is useful to create interactive content as a human-machine interface (HMI), focused mainly on UI, distant interactions with pinchs, and displacement in the VR world. Moreover, MRTK is using the XR world and its lighter constraints (compared to the real world) to expand the way you interact with objects. On the other hand, the Interaction Builder is a hand interactions tool for VR/AR/MR based on hand manipulations(hand tracking, partial snapping, grabbing), focusing mainly on reproducing how humans interact with objects in real life. How the hand works while interacting is a fundamental pillar to recreate realistic interactions in a virtual world. In terms of complexity and learning curve, MRTK is an older product, therefore it includes a lot of features. However, an overload of functionalities can slow down the development process. MRTK architecture (source https://microsoft.github.io/MixedRealityToolkit-Unity/Documentation/Architecture/Overview.html) Interaction Builder architecture MRTK is a hand interactions tool for VR/AR/MR with a complete architecture. Developers can use this architecture to create their own systems. However, such complete architecture leads to complexity for simple use cases. Indeed, you must understand the structure of MRTK to work with it. On the contrary, the Interaction Builder is a ready-to-use tool, with a smaller and simpler architecture. This is because it is focused on a specific application. You do not have to understand how the tool is built to use it. Moreover, you are not limited because you have open API access if you want to expand the tool. The two hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR provide instruments for the developers to add data providers. This enriches the list of devices that are compatible with the tool. Technically, any kind of device can be plugged into both. The main difference here is that the Interaction builder is a bit more flexible in terms of switching between platforms of deployment. Instead, MRTK has a whole framework to handle the input as part of your application, with very detailed features which give you full control of what you want to do. If you are looking for a great UI tool for XR, MRTK is definitively the one to go for. It provides a lot of functionalities and prefabs, for almost any kind of UI application you could think of. However, if you are looking for an application with interactions based on hand manipulation, the Interaction Builder will offer a stronger touch of realism. The table below summarizes the main differences between the two hand interactions tools for VR/AR/MR. Ready to try? Extend your reality now by downloading our Hand Interaction tool for VR & MR package. Check our last blog post here for more news. --- ### Haptic feedback for e-commerce with Interhaptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptic-feedback-for-ecommerce-with-interhaptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-06-12 · Category: Demo > Virtual commerce is a powerful tool for companies to promote their products and increase their sales. V-Commerce development is already showing promising results both in complex machinery sales and real estate visit with VR, and retail commerce with AR. Since the release of this blogpost, we have worked on case study in partnership with IDRAC Business School on haptic for iphone and android. Find the case study: - Touching over the screen: matching haptic rendering with product tactile cues - Interhaptics partner with idrac bs to integrate haptic feedback in augmented reality for e-commerce. The pre-study indicates that Haptics increases customer engagement and purchase intention in online environments using android and iphone haptic. Due to the pandemic, online shopping saw a steep increase last year, and the issue of the absence of physicality of the purchase experience became central. Haptic feedback design could bring the importance of the touch and feel of the product to consumers to palliate the lack of authenticity. Furthermore, now consumers can buy instantaneously from anywhere thanks to their smartphone, haptics on Iphone and android is growing in importance and could be applied for the mobile e-commerce. For e-commerce, haptic feedback design could be a major stake to raise the purchase rate. Virtual commerce is a powerful tool for companies to promote their products and increase their sales. E-Commerce development is already showing promising results both in complex machinery sales and real estate visit with VR, and in retail commerce with AR. In this blog post, we analyze how to use haptic feedback for e-commerce to increase the value for the customers. Indeed, the Interhaptics team developed an exposition room as a use-case, featuring useful multiple interactions that you can use to build a virtual showcase scenario. ##### A large interaction library with haptic feedback for e-commerce We implemented a large interaction library composed by interactive furniture items. Within the library, you will have the possibility to see several actions that the user can experience in a physical shop. For instance, transforming the extendable couch into a bed, arranging the chair, opening the closet and its drawers, opening and closing the drawers of the desk, and so on. Moreover, there is the possibility to add haptic feedback for e-commerce scenarios, improving the immersion and user experience of the customer. Thanks to these features, customers can try the ergonomics and use of the products with realistic behavior and movements. With Interhaptics, all of this is implementable in a few clicks within your application. You can even check the haptic Iphone and android. ##### Multi-sensory experience with haptic feedback for e-commerce With Interhaptics, you can create your haptic designs very easily. More specifically, you can build a multi-sensory e-shopping scenario and allow the customer to feel different materials. This enriches the showcasing experience, with targeted haptics feedback for e-commerce scenarios. Haptic feedback design generates larger immersion and engagement for the customer. Indeed, recent research has shown this increased customer engagement during online shopping (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-36922-4) Same for haptic iphone and android for the mobile shopping. ##### Hand tracking input compatibility Our suite supports hand tracking with most VR devices, giving you the choice to switch between controllers and hand tracking as you like, just as your controllers allow it. Moreover, Interhaptics is based on a controller agnostic architecture. Thanks to that, you can integrate complex hand tracking interaction in a simple way within Interhaptics. Haptic feedback for e-commerce experiences is a powerful way to improve users’ experience from the comfort of their houses. The sale experience is transformed into a playful shopping that is interactive, immersive and with a more hands-on approach. Interhaptics provides you the tools to build a virtual shopping scenario to enhance the immersion of your customer, thanks to the haptic feedback for e-commerce. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keep you immersed in your VR experiences. Extend your reality now by downloading our suite and try out our demos. --- ### VR Interaction Framework vs Interaction Builder (Hand interaction for Virtual Reality) URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/hand-interaction-for-virtual-reality-vr-interaction-framework-vs-interaction-builder/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-06-03 · Category: Industry Insight > The market in terms of VR creation tools is constantly expanding with more and more valuable offers and it may be difficult to understand different products to find which one would suite your project the best. The market in terms of VR creation tools is constantly expanding with more and more valuable offers for hand interaction for VR. Therefore, it may be difficult to understand different products, in order to find the one that would suit your project best. To discuss this point we will compare two apparently similar products that you can use to create interactions for VR content. The first one is the VR Interaction Framework, a well-reviewed Unity Plugin known to be user-friendly, and the second is the Interaction Builder from the Interhaptics. ##### Why these two systems for hand interaction for VR? Because they are similar in many points, such as framework complexity, coding complexity, and what value they aim to provide to developers. Both are built on 3 pillars: define an interactive/grabbable object, the body part/grabber, and the events related to each interaction. This is fundamental for hand interaction such as hand tracking, snapping, and grabbing in virtual reality. Whether it is with the Interaction Builder or the VR Interaction Framework, you need little coding knowledge to understand the system and create interactions. However, you will always have API/framework access to go more in-depth during your development process. ##### Specifications of the two technologies for hand interaction for VR Of course, it would be a lie to say that they are identical. Indeed, some features look similar, but they are not built in the same way and for the same purpose. Thus, some features are completely different. ###### VR Interaction Framework Starting with the VR Interaction Framework, you will find an easy-to-use grabber/grabbable system for hand interaction for virtual reality. However, the system is not optimized for precise hand interaction for VR but works well for any interaction based on grabbing. Also, it is not focused on hands. Indeed, there is a dissociation between “what is a hand” and “what can grab” which gives some flexibility. The VR Interaction Framework is mainly using button inputs to trigger interactions and events during interactions. It is also compatible with Oculus Quest hand tracking (precisely the Pinch input to simulate the grab). However, there is a loss of consistency between the hand tracking input and controllers’ input. The interactions are half logic-based and half physic-based. Interactions are triggered logically (with a specific input/value) but the behavior of the object is managed by the physics engine. Thus, it requires a bit of extra preparation on the object itself, with physics components such as joints. ###### Interaction Builder On the other hand, you will find the Interaction Builder. The system is focused on hand interactions for VR on a detailed level. This means a better definition of palm and fingers, in order to have precise interactions based on body parts. Since it is working around hands themselves, the Interaction Builder is not using button inputs to trigger interactions or events. Instead, it uses a grab strength computed with the skeleton of the hand. Interaction Builder gives a realistic representation of a “grab” and makes these interactions work consistently with both hand tracking for virtual reality and controllers. Everything is computed in a logic engine. No complex physics component is required to create an interactive object (usually you would use physical joints and configure them). Each hand interaction for virtual reality is triggered logically. Moreover, also the behavior of the object in the 3D space is logically managed. Therefore, you just need to apply a script and the object will behave as it should. A small detail that is actually important in terms of user experience is the differentiation between big and small objects. It was a necessity since we don’t grab objects the same way depending on their size (have more details about different ways to grab here). This is a very important feature to have in hand interaction for VR. ##### Comparison table between the two systems for hand interaction for virtual reality If your project does not require fully realistic interactions and has more of a gaming approach, the VR Interaction Framework will easily help you in that way. Specifically, it is the right system if you want to fully work in a physics-based environment. However, thanks to its concept around the hand and a logical engine for stability, the Interaction Builder would be the right choice for any serious game, business, or professional training. It is the best solution for any VR content requiring realistic hand interactions or content around Hand Tracking for VR. Also, if you do not want to learn and spend time on the physics side of interactions, the Interaction builder will handle everything for you in a logical engine. Test now the Interaction Builder by downloading our Hand Tracking for VR & MR Package. Check our last blog post here for more news. --- ### Haptics for VR training with Interhaptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/haptics-for-vr-training-with-interhaptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-05-25 · Category: Demo > Interhaptics allows to cut dramatically the development time of a virtual training scenario. The platform provides several pre-made hands interactions such as levers, cranks, switches, and doors which can be configured easily in the 3D engine. You will be able to create realistic hands-on interactions for hand tracking, or, for more demanding scenarios, design customized haptic feedback for better results. Companies increasingly use training sessions in VR and XR forms, which allow to train people at distance with less cost. Interhaptics allows to cut dramatically the development time of a virtual training scenario. Indeed, the platform provides several pre-made hands interactions, such as levers, cranks, switches, and doors. Their configuration is easy in the 3D engine, which include haptics for virtual reality. You will be able to create realistic hands-on interactions for hand tracking. In addition, for more demanding scenarios, you will be able to design customized haptic feedback for better results. In order to showcase all the possibilities that Interhaptics offer, the team developed a demo on haptics for VR training. The demo includes several interactions for developers who are specialists in the creation of professional training scenarios. ##### Training in VR: the need for haptics and hand tracking VR training is reinforced by realistic movements. Indeed, this sort of training is powerful thanks to the memory muscle. When you grab an object, your muscles will remember specific features such as weight, texture, or the strength that you need to grab the object. Interhaptics is designed for hand tracking and it provides a large library of realistic 3D interactions to ease the application development cycle. A large panel of hand interactions is available to be used for all training situations. Thus, haptics for VR training allows users to remember longer what they are learning. ##### VR Training Scenario development Interhaptics technology allows to handle large and complex scenarios, with the addition of haptics for virtual reality. You can implement standard interactions and trigger events during and at the end of each interaction through APIs. One interaction can trigger multiples events, following the rules you apply on it. For example, in VR training, if you are not respecting the security measures, you will see the consequences of an anomaly during the process. ##### A fast and easy development Our technology is based on drag and drop implementation with a low code philosophy. With minimum coding knowledge and little time, you can make your scenario interactive. In a few clicks, you can design, develop, and deploy a fully interactive scene for your project. Moreover, with the addition of haptics for VR training, you will obtain an immersive and stimulating environment for users’ learning. ##### Implement KPIs in your scenario Interhaptics provides a logic-based interaction engine. Therefore, it allows to implement learning analytics or KPIs in your scenario. For instance, the platform allows to evaluate the competence of the user after completing each section of the training. Thus, you can know the point of difficulty the user met in the demo, and their strengths. ##### Hand tracking Input Compatibility Our suite supports hand tracking with most VR devices. Thanks to Interhaptics, you can integrate complex hand tracking interactions in a few clicks within your applications. This include haptics for virtual reality scenarios. Our suite is adaptable for each situation and set of scenarios for your project. Haptics for VR training is a fantastic way to improve the efficiency of the training process. Companies are understanding this potential and are starting to explore this new way to train their employees. Thus, thanks to Interhaptics, you can create endless scenarios with interactions based on haptics for virtual reality in a short time. If you want to collaborate with Interhaptics to add haptics to your VR training project, contact us or check this page! You can also experience our demo here. --- ### Develop hand tracking for Oculus Quest with Interhaptics URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/develop-haptics-and-hand-tracking-for-oculus-quest-with-interhaptics/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-04-27 · Category: Haptics > The Oculus is one of the best standalone solutions with an embedded hand tracking system. Thanks to these properties, the Interhaptics team developed a series of demos illustrating the use of hand tracking and haptics with Oculus Quest. In our last blog post, we explained how to create 3D interaction for XR. Now it’s time to understand how to use it. This is possible thanks to Interhaptics, a cross-platform development suite designed to build and create natural interactions and haptic feedback for VR & MR. The mission of Interhaptics is to democratize Haptics, with a focus on hand tracking for virtual reality. Nowadays, many technologies are entering the market and are participating in XR development. In this blog post, we will focus on hand tracking for Oculus Quest, with the aim to create engaging and immersive content. ##### Hand tracking for Oculus Quest The Oculus is one of the best standalone solutions with embedded hand tracking for virtual reality. Thanks to these properties, the Interhaptics team selected this solution and developed a series of demos, which illustrate the use of hand tracking for Oculus Quest. Interhaptics was already supporting interactions, gestures, and haptics for VR controllers in Windows. Indeed, you can alternate between different VR controllers in the Interhaptics Daemon interface. When the Oculus Quest was started in May 2019, we worked to add their devices to our controllers supporting list. The first step was to integrate the Oculus Quest controllers into Interhaptics, in order to leverage all the haptics and interaction features already included. We produced several videos, which give you an overview of all these interactions and hand tracking for virtual reality. ##### Textures ##### Turning Wheel ##### Sliders ##### Heart Beating Having integrated Oculus Quest, the next step was to support hand tracking for Oculus Quest with a full integration inside our interaction framework. To achieve this goal, we created a customized algorithm to compute virtual grasping strengths, which allow precise control over interactions. Therefore, from now onwards you can switch between controllers and hand tracking for virtual reality, as Oculus Quest allows it. ##### Hand tracking for Oculus Quest: integration with Interhaptics As we said at the beginning, one of the aims of Interhaptics is to democratize haptics. Indeed, Interhaptics allows creating high-definition haptic feedback for generic haptic devices. Below we showcase the integration of an Oculus Quest with external haptic devices. This is used in one of the first full portable haptic training solutions in Quest, using Interhaptics technology. We guarantee compatibility with the Oculus Quest. However, if you have a device that is different from the Oculus Quest, you can still use Interhaptics to create your interactive project. We provide consistency of haptics and hand tracking for virtual reality between platforms, in order to give XR developers the possibility to create their content quickly. Oculus Quest Users, it is time for you to extend your reality! Download Interhaptics and try now all our demos. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keeps you immersed in your VR experiences. --- ### Meet us at Laval Virtual! URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/meet-us-at-laval-virtual/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-04-21 · Category: Events & Webinars > Laval Virtual has just launched a new era for conferences, offering this year a new concept: the Lavalvirtualworld, a 100% VR conference! Take a slot via your #lavalvirtual personal space to meet & discuss with Eric Vezzoli, Titouan Rabu, Adrian Tamas, or Sarah Alkibsy from the Interhaptics team! A new era for conferences has just been launched thanks to Laval Virtual, which this year offers a new concept with the #Lavalvirtualworld, a 100% #VR conference! Take a slot via your #lavalvirtual personal space to meet & discuss with Eric Vezzoli, Titouan Rabu, Adrian Tamas or Sarah Alkibsy from the Interhaptics team! Thanks to Laval Virtual for the teaser video ! --- ### Hand tracking for VR and MR: naturally inspired UX and input URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/hand-tracking-for-vr-and-mr-naturally-inspired-ux-and-input/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-04-08 · Category: Haptics > Hand tracking for VR & MR is bringing a new level of immersion and user experience into XR applications. Indeed, users see a button, reach out, and click with their fingertips. After speaking of haptics design and Interaction Building, let’s talk about one of the newest and most powerful technology: hand tracking for VR/AR/MR and its input mechanisms. Hand tracking for VR & MR is bringing a new level of immersion and user experience into XR applications. Indeed, users see a button, reach out and click with their fingertips. Everything is easy there! Super user experience, little usage friction and excellent immersion. This feature is so compelling that almost every major headset maker is implementing hand tracking for VR and MR for their headsets. Hand tracking for VR and MR works undoubtedly well because the user doesn’t have to learn anything while interacting with a virtual object. The user sees an object and reacts exactly as they would in real life. A ball on the table? Reach out and grab it! ##### Hand tracking for VR and MR: the GRASP Taxonomy It can be argued that the development of great intelligence as human species is tied to the ability to create and manipulate new tools and objects. When we look in detail into how we, as humans, grasp and manipulate objects we come out with a map explained in The GRASP Taxonomy of Human Grasp Types 1 illustrated in Figure 2. This subdivision is split into two major categories: Power and Precision manipulation, as a function of how we control the position of the object. Moreover, the finger pad is for precision manipulation and the hand palm is related to power manipulation. This is fundamental for hand tracking for extended reality. Indeed, what we see in this division is the radically different way how we manipulate different objects. More precisely, how the finger is arranged and how the pre-manipulation action is made to accommodate the final position. We implemented these aspects into hand tracking for VR and MR, read the paragraphs below to discover how. ##### Hand tracking for extended reality: our experience During the last several years working on customers’ projects using hand tracking for VR and MR, we realized that a unique pinching and grabbing input were not responding to the necessities of a smooth user experience. On the contrary, they generated a significant amount of frustration in the final user. For instance, pinching to move a large object is not expected at all by the user! In some cases, we ended up avoiding the immersive characteristic of the environment because of the inconsistency of the user’s input actions. Therefore, users were not able to use the product. That means that we had a non-consistent user expectation across the product. Some interactions were realistic, and some of them had a high level of abstraction. This choice was not driven by the user preference, but by an inconsistent response of the hand tracking for VR and MR not taking into consideration human factors. The mission of Interhaptics is to give consistent, realistic, and immersive development tools for XR creators to increase the value of the final product. For this reason, in partnership with several research experts, we developed grabbing algorithms that inspired the human behavior for hand tracking for VR and MR. The objective of these algorithms is to give the best UX possible while using hand tracking for extended reality. We segmented the real hand behavior, extracted the core parameters, and transcribed it in virtual reality to create a consistent tool for hand tracking for VR/AR/MR! This will be available for any hand tracking software supported by Interhaptics: Oculus, Vive, Ultra Leap, and the others planned in the future. In the next paragraphs you can see some examples: ##### Precision Grab ##### Power Grab with Thumb ##### Power Grab without Thumb ##### Extreme cases As you can see, hand tracking for extended reality is a fundamental aspect of it. For us, its development is the result of a long reflection to improve each characteristic of its features. By observing the way each of us grabs or pulls something, we built the most realistic technology in order to maintain and optimize your own XR use. But this process is still open to your feedback, which enriches the development. Click here to see our entire video dedicated to hand tracking for VR & MR. These features are all available in our Hand Tracking for VR & MR package. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keep you immersed in your VR experiences. --- ### Hand tracking experiences for virtual reality URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/hand-tracking-experiences-for-virtual-reality/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-04-01 · Category: Haptics > In this blog post, we will analyze how Interhaptics implements hand tracking for virtual reality. Now that you have downloaded Interhaptics and followed all the instructions (if you haven’t, click here), you are ready to extend your reality. In this blog post, we will analyze how Interhaptics manages the implementation of hand tracking for virtual reality. The final goal is to optimize the user experience. ##### Hand interactions for virtual reality 3D hand interaction for virtual reality are usually inspired by what happens in the real world. For instance, when we see a button in VR, we intuitively know that we should push it. Similarly, when we see a virtual object representing a real one, we respond with hand interactions that we are familiar with. We see a ball, we reach out and grab it. If we look into this hand interaction more in details, we observe the following actions:– Reach out and grab a ball– Displace it– Release it From this segmentation of actions, we can create 3D hand interactions formed by three components: – The starting condition (grab)– The spatial transformation (displace)– The ending conditions (release) This seems obvious! Why do we need to define and segment a simple concept? ##### More complex hand interactions This framework is useful when we approach more complex hand interactions for virtual reality. This process allows to have programmable ending or starting conditions to meet a user experience objective. In our website, we provide multiple ready-to-use demos to explain this concept. For example, in a professional training scenario, we want a user to wield a key in order to turn a bolt exactly 750 degrees. Then, the user will release the hand at the end of the interaction. If we segment these hand interactions with the framework explained above, we have: – Starting condition: Grab– Transformation: 750 degrees rotation on the bolt axis– Ending Condition: Reach the final position ##### Hand interactions primitives These hand interactions for virtual reality are more complex than the previous one. However, the segmentation into 3 main blocks allows us to visualize it as a simple logical chain. We call these items “interaction primitives”. An interaction primitive is defined by a starting condition, a transformation, and an ending condition. If you think about your smartphone, you are already using these hand interactions primitives every day. For instance, the drag and drop on the screen have a starting condition (tap), a transformation (drag), and an ending condition (reach the target or lift the finger from the screen). Apple has been the best company to optimize interaction primitives. With this method, the transformation doesn’t need to follow the exact movement of the finger, and it allows to add of inertial effects to the graphical outcome. One of the fascinating outcomes of this method is that we can represent a unique hand interaction as a single block and a set of hand interactions as a block scheme. ##### What makes interaction primitives interesting When you are creating interactive scenarios with several hand interactions in sequence, you need to quickly execute and implement a set of hand interactions for virtual reality. More specifically, you need the ability to modify the parameters of your interactive content on the fly. Each interaction primitive provides ending information once completed, allowing to trigger animation/actions or enable further hand interactions for virtual reality. As shown below, the result of these complex hand interactions is a user scene. ##### Hand tracking experiences for virtual reality with Interhaptics Interhaptics developed a large set of interaction primitives that you can apply with just a few clicks inside your 3D engine, to make your scenario interactive. These interaction primitives can be also applied via an API. This allows the integration with a developed product, to implement interactive content easily. You can find some examples in this video. A bonus of these interaction primitives is that during the transformation phase you can add haptics material, enriching your interactions with tailored haptic feedback. This is just a few clicks away. Interaction primitives are the best scriptwriters for modeling your interactive content into your XR environment. Check out our demo video now to show you the full potential of hand interactions for virtual reality. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keep you immersed into your VR experiences. Develop hand tracking experiences by downloading our Hand Tracking for VR & MR package. --- ### How to create digital haptic textures URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/how-to-create-digital-haptic-texture/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-23 · Category: Demo > After speaking about how haptics enrich interactions and objects in XR, in this post, we will dive into a specific haptic perception: haptic texture design. Easy to say, harder to do! Do not worry, Interhaptics is here to simplify your life. After speaking about how haptics enriches interactions and objects in XR, in this post we will dive into a specific haptic perception: haptic textures design. Easy to say, harder to do! Do not worry, Interhaptics is here to simplify your life. ##### Haptic textures design in extended reality The texture sensation is easy to understand. Indeed, you look at your pullover or at a wall of bricks, and you can immediately imagine the touch sensation that the surface generates while sliding your finger against it. In the next paragraphs, we will see how we can approximate that feeling with haptic texture design in extended reality. In the XR environment, haptic technology simulates the sense of touch. More specifically, haptic technologies can deliver touch sensations, simulating the real feeling of touching different surfaces. Haptics is at its beginning, but can already create a great tactile experience if used in a smart way! ##### Haptic textures design: how texture feeling works in real life The particularity of textures, and thus haptic textures too, is that they are spatial. This means that the sensations you perceive change if you slide your finger slower or faster against the surface. Therefore, this characteristic is the basics to create compelling haptic texture design experiences. Going a little deeper, the sensation of textures is the result of how thousands of tiny sensors in the finger, called mechanoreceptors, send signals to the brain. These receptors emit their signal with a rhythm, pretty much like us tapping the foot when listening to music. These thousands tapping, changing continuously while we explore a surface with different velocities, is interpreted by the brain as a unique texture. This is all pretty complicated, and scientists didn’t yet figure it out completely, but one thing is clear! One of the most important information is in the spatial period of the haptic texture, or the spatial periods of the textures! Yes, there are multiple of them. ##### Haptic texture design with Interhaptics Interhaptics allows creating haptic textures with up to 16 different spatial periods, also called haptics tones. For now, it seems more than enough to create compelling experiences with haptic texture design in extended reality. The Interhaptics engine then calculates the right haptic textures signal as a function of the kind of texture and body part displacement. In our Demo, we created a specific section where 6 different haptic textures designs are represented. This is just an example of how haptic textures can enrich an XR experience. For each material, we tried to extract a compelling tactile characteristic to be represented with haptics technologies. ##### Haptic textures design: bricks Each brick in the image above has its proper haptic textures design in extended reality. There is a haptic spike on the edges to define the hollow between the bricks. This haptic texture repeats itself for each brick. ##### Haptic textures design in extended reality: wood All three wood representations are different in their consistency. However, the haptic textures serve the same purpose, namely to represent the hollow between the wooden strips. Indeed, it is through haptic feedback that you understand the difference in composition between each plank of wood. ##### Haptic textures: tile As you can see in the preview of the Interhaptics Demo above, the tile panel includes multiple hollows. Therefore, haptic textures’ design will define their differences. While the haptic feedback will be a small vibration between each tile, a stronger vibration will represent the space in the central hollow. Thanks to haptic textures design for extended reality, you will be able to feel the difference between the two types of hollows. In addition, without seeing it, you can understand which wave is horizontal or vertical in our metal case. Indeed, haptic textures design will be different for each direction. Our brains have the wonderful faculty to recreate a sensation just with a few pieces of information. Therefore, thanks to haptic textures information, this big computer in our head will build a neuronal set. You could be surprised to find yourself imagining the crunchy sound of an old wooden plank, the cold of the metal, or the smell of a damaged piece of tile. That is why haptic texture design for extended reality is fundamental for XR development. This is because it enlarges the experience and quality of your XR experience. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keep you immersed into your VR experiences. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics and design, test and iterate your haptic experiences. --- ### Personalize your haptic feedback to enhance your XR experience URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/personalize-your-haptic-feedback-to-enhance-your-xr-experience/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-18 · Category: Demo > In our previous blog posts, we explored how haptic feedback design brings value to interactions in an XR environment. Moreover, we discussed how haptic feedback enhances user immersion. However, what can we do with an object that lacks specifications or functionalities? Learn below. In our previous blog posts, we explored how haptic feedback design brings value to interactions in an XR environment. Moreover, we discussed how haptic feedback enhances the immersion for the user. However, what can we do with an object that lacks specifications or functionalities? You can add an haptic feedback in extended reality to these objects too, resulting in a realistic outcome. You can easily design any haptic compositions you want with Haptics Composer. ##### Personalized haptic feedback design With the help of a script, we personalized the haptic feedback design of the train in the example above. The gif is part of our Demo. As you can see, the locomotive and the wagon are two parts connected by an axis. When you hold one side of the train and apply movement to the object, it will transmit a haptic signal. The haptic feedback starts when the angles of two parts of the train reach a preset limit. In this example, the haptic design in extended reality applied to the train shows that haptics can be transmitted from one object to another. With Interhaptics, you can design and develop haptic feedback in extended reality as you have never done before! In a few clicks and some lines of code, you will build an immersive XR experience entirely personalized according to your needs. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptic feedback defines the consistence and the limits of your material. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics and design, test and iterate your haptic experiences. --- ### How haptic feedback brings your objects back to life URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/how-haptic-feedback-brings-your-objects-back-to-life/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-14 · Category: Demo > After discussing haptic feedback design in 3D Interactions, let’s focus on how haptics enhance virtual objects in the Interhaptics demo. Common objects can be easily moved and displaced without constraints given by the environment. After the use of haptic feedback design into 3D Interactions, let’s focus on how haptics enhance virtual objects in the Demo of Interhaptics. Common objects can be easily moved and displaced without constraints given by the environment. Thus, their movements are not defined for the user, but by the user. You can grab the objects in the panel below and they will generate a different haptic feedback, which enriches their functionalities and enhance one aspect of their characteristics. In a previews post (read more) we discussed panels where the haptic feedback brings explanations about how objects work. Here, we will see how haptic feedback design can reflect what users expect, or can enhance the characteristics of the experience. This sort of haptic feedback will prevent the disconnection between real and virtual world, and will consolidate the immersion of the user. Thus, this haptic feedback design will empower the AR/VR experiences. ##### Haptic feedback design for physical interaction: balls Balls are probably the simplest objects to imagine in VR. They roll, bounce, and they can move around all the time. It is simple physics. However, not every ball behaves the same while moving in the space. Therefore, not every ball should generate the same haptic feedback in AR/VR spaces. For instance, the black ball in the Demo that you can see below is bouncing and soft. If you catch it with one hand, and touch it with the other, you will feel an increasing feedback standing for a growing sensation. If you leave it and let it bounce, you need to trust the haptic feedback to catch it! The haptic feedback happens naturally every time the ball crosses your hand. Take the time to explore how a different haptic feedback design changes the feeling of the second wooden ball. ##### Haptics feedback for physical interaction: train When you are manipulating objects with pivot, such as the train in the Haptics demonstrator above, they rotate and react as function of gravity and the hand movement. In reality, you feel a shock every time the pivot arrives at its end course. A well-placed haptics feedback used at the end of the course of the pivot gives the right sensation to the user. ##### Haptics feedback design to convey Emotions Touch is one of the most powerful mediums to convey emotions and feeling. Haptic feedback, if used carefully in the VR experience, can help create an emotional contact between the virtual world and the user. In the Haptics Demo, we show only a hint of how haptic feedback design can be used in this direction. For instance, we created a beating heart with the haptic feedback enhancing the audio and animation feedback. The result of this haptic feedback design is quite interesting and worth further exploration. In future blog posts will go deeper into this amazing use of haptics for emotional communication. ##### Haptic feedback design to convey information Haptics has been used to convey information since the old Nokia 3310. The buzzer inside was a masterpiece to communicate the reception of a message or a call. This is one of the most striking uses of haptics to convey information. We recreated this scenario in VR, where the user simply picks up one of the phones, and each of them gives different haptic feedback with vibrations. It is interesting how this haptic feedback design feels completely natural and expected during the interaction. We are familiar with the feeling of phones vibration, so a virtual one which is vibrating in our hand makes perfect sense. This is just one example on how haptics can convey information in VR. We will go deeper into this direction with future demos and blog post, where we will explore the use of haptic feedback for sensory substitution. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptic feedback design can bring your objects back to life. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics and design, test and iterate your haptic experiences. --- ### How to use Haptics throughout your rotating interactions? URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/how-to-use-haptics-throughout-your-rotating-interactions/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-09 · Category: Demo > Interhaptics developers have created a demo to show us how haptic design for interactions widens the spectrum of VR/AR experiences. In order to fully build your virtual experience and ease your haptic design, we developed the Haptics Composer to create, test, and iterate your haptic design. Interhaptics developers have created a demo to show us how haptic design for interactions widens the spectrum of VR/AR experiences. In order to fully build your virtual experience and ease your haptic design, we developed the Haptics Composer to create, test and iterate your haptic design. After discussing of haptics in levers and sliding movements, let’s check what happens with the circular movements. By using Interhaptics, we built a demo showcasing specific applications of haptic design for interactions for dynamic elements. The demo is highlighting the role of haptics in rotative interactions. We set up a panel of specific objects. The panel is visible to demonstrate the power of haptic design to upgrade your VR environment. In each object’s section, all the interactions are identical. They are all rotating movements. Doors and wheels work in the same way. Our interactions occur around the same axis. However, we can change each of our haptics feedback. ##### Haptic design for interactions: the case of doors Opening doors is an action which is very common during VR development. With Haptics Composer, you can easily create multiple haptic designs and integrate them into “simple” interactions, such as door opening. In our demo, each haptic design for interaction is different, even if they appear similar. The first door represents an old door. The haptic design was created with friction elements to replicate the sensation of rusty doors in horror games. On the second door of our panel, as shown in the image below the haptics amplitude increases when the door is about to reach the limit. The haptic design on the last door represents a door which makes contact with the locker when it is closing. It is basically what everyone of us has experienced when closing doors in real life. These three doors represent three examples of haptic design for interactions, considering one single object. ##### Haptic design for wheels The use of haptic design for interactions with wheels and valves is a great bonus. Movements based upon these interactions can be endless, and you can deliver fine control through a precise haptics feedback. Therefore, haptics will give you this information. Our first wheel represents the cranks of the wheel. Thanks to this haptic design for interactions, you will be able to feel the vibrations of the clanks on your hands. Thus, you can balance your strength as well as your speed to obtain a precise control on the element. On the other hand, the image below represents the haptic design of the rotation of the valve. It’s a simple sinus on 180 degrees. In the third case, haptics tells you when to stop. The user receives an alert with a rotation effect when he reaches the dangerous limit. Check out all our articles here to read about how haptics keep you immersed in your VR experiences. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics for all your haptic design for interactions. --- ### How to use Haptics throughout your sliding interactions? URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/how-to-use-haptics-throughout-your-sliding-interactions/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-04 · Category: Demo > Our team created a demo to show how haptic design for 3D interactions enlarges the spectrum of VR/AR experiences. In order to fully design your virtual experiences and ease your haptic design for interactions with objects, we developed the Haptics Composer to design, test, and iterate your haptic design experiences. Our team created a demo to show how haptic design for 3D interactions enlarge the spectrum of VR/AR experiences. In order to fully design your virtual experiences and ease your haptic design for interactions with objects, we developed the Haptics Composer to design, test and iterate your haptic design experiences. After our previous blog post on haptics with lever interactions, today we tackle haptics for sliding interactions. By using Interhaptics, we built a demo showcasing specific applications of haptic design for dynamic elements. The demo is highlighting the role of haptics design for interactions with objects. In each object section in the demo, you might notice that all the interactions appear identical. This is because you can’t feel the haptic design for interaction with the objects of the demo, thus you are not able to experience the difference. Indeed, the interactions with objects that you can see in the demo have a different haptics feedback. More specifically, each haptic design is in accordance with a specific interaction. Having this haptics feature to customize your haptic design for interactions will expand your possibilities with 3D development. ##### Haptic design for interactions: drawers During your gaming experiences, whether you are trying to find items or exploring a scene to finish a quest, without realizing it, you are opening drawers all the time. If you played Red Dead Redemption 2, you know what we are talking about. Unlike the Rockstar’s game, the haptics development of the drawers not only gives you a tangible feedback, but it also prevents useless movements. When the first drawer is opening, a light haptic design element alerts you that the drawer is fully open and you can stop the movement. When opening the second drawer, the user can feel the contact between the wheels and the rail. This haptic design for interactions mirrors the movement of an old drawer in real life. For the third drawer, the difference is that its haptic design is based on the friction of the wood during the interaction. ##### Haptic design for sliders Sliders are often used in e-learning applications. In our slider panel, there are 3 distinct haptic design for interactions, with 3 different types of feedback. The peculiarity of the first slider is that haptics alerts the user that the slider reached the limits of its interaction structure. The second slider shows the link between the haptic design element and the visual environment. Indeed, the slider has three cranks on its axis. Thus, you can feel an haptics feedback at each passing. Finally, the third slider contains a simple augmentation of haptics amplitude when the slider reaches the middle of its path, giving you an indication of the slider position. Click here to read about how haptic design for interactions can guide you into your VR experiences. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics and design, test and iterate your haptics experiences. --- ### How to use Haptics throughout lever interactions URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/what-you-can-do-with-interhaptics-2/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-03-02 · Category: Demo > Our team has created a demo to show you how large the spectrum of VR/AR experiences is, and particularly to demonstrate how to use haptic design for interactions. Our team has created a demo (watch it here) to show you how large is the spectrum of VR/AR experiences, and particularly to demonstrate how to use haptic design for interactions. In order to fully design your virtual experience and ease your haptic design, we developed a new graphical standalone tool to design, test and iterate your haptic experiences: Haptics Composer. In this blog post, we will dive into the implementation of haptics in VR development, with a focus on interactions with levers. By using Interhaptics, we built a demo showcasing specific applications of haptic design. The demo is highlighting the role of haptics in object manipulation. ##### Haptic design for interactions: the case of levers When you create your XR scenarios, interactions can trigger events in your scenes, such as doors opening, pulling levers, lifting rocks, and so on. This is possible thanks to Interaction Builder, a plugin which enables a fast creation of multiple and unique scenarios. Our suite has been developed for a wide spectrum of controllers and hand-tracking system, particularly for integrating haptic design in your VR development. The nature of a lever is very peculiar. Once their interactions are defined, their movements are always the same. Nevertheless, in our demo, there’s 3 different haptic design for interactions, with 3 types of haptics feedback. In the gif above, the first lever represents a gradual haptics feedback with different limits. The movement is “quiet” until you push the boundaries. We can easily imagine its use in a car simulation as a hand brake. The second lever is more like a gearshift. Its haptic design parameters represent a smooth rotation. The last haptic design for interactions contains an amplitude at the limit to alert the player. ##### Haptic design: how to use it with combined levers Unlike the previous levers, the combined lever demonstrates three different interactions with three haptic design compositions in the same structure. The up and down motion has just a few haptic sensations. It was designed to feel like a lever with small cranks. As you can see in the gif below, its interaction is performed with two hands. The left and right motion on the lever has strong haptic feedback when reaching preset limits. Last but not least, the third haptic design for interactions shows how a rotating lever turns around its axis. With this movement you can sense the haptics feedback when a complete rotation is done. This haptic design for interactions mirror some movements that you can find in race games or adventures games built with Unity or other game engines. Click here to watch about how haptic design works on any kind of movement and how it empowers your environment. Extend your reality now by downloading Interhaptics here and design, test and iterate your haptic design for interactions. --- ### How haptics changes your VR/AR/MR experience URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/how-haptics-changes-your-xr-experience/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-02-28 · Category: Demo > Interhaptics enables the design and development of complex 3D interactions and haptic feedback without coding knowledge. With Interhaptics, which focuses on haptics for VR/AR/MR, you can build haptic sensations for 3D applications. Indeed, to immerse ourselves fully in a VR/AR/MR experience, we need to engage all our senses. Interhaptics allows to design and develop complex 3D interactions and haptic feedback without any coding knowledge. With Interhaptics, which focuses on haptics for VR/AR/MR, you will be able to build and create haptic sensations for 3D applications. Indeed, to immerse ourselves directly into an VR/AR/MR experience, we need to experience this reality with all our senses. #### The haptics demo Our team created a demo (watch video) to showcase a large spectrum of VR/AR/MR experiences. More specifically, using Interhaptics, we built a demo to showcase specific applications of haptics for VR/AR/MR. The demo is highlighting how haptics enhances immersive content in different use cases. The haptics demo is composed of 4 panels demonstrating how haptic feedback changes the experience in VR/AR/MR. ##### Haptics for VR/AR/MR interaction: the first panel In the first panel, haptics is used to enhance UI’s objects. Here we will find levers, drawers, sliders and wheels. Each case is presented with three types of haptic feedback to enhance different aspects of the interaction. In this context, haptics for VR/AR/MR contributes to enhance immersion and refine the sensation of the user interacting with the 3D environment. ##### Haptic objects: the second panel The second case shows how haptic feedback can enhance the interaction with ordinary objects. Haptics creates an interesting and dynamic interaction without the need to animate the scene to change the object behavior. Each object is given a specific feeling, namely a haptic attribute. This allows to enhance the sensation of movement or contact, and to deliver information or convey emotions. The communication of these sensations is intimate and reflects how haptics for VR/AR/MR can enhance the immersion and sensation of presence of the users. Try out how the right haptics enhance the feeling of a beating hearth, or the sensation of a moving train. With Haptics Composer, every object can be transformed and a new channel of haptic communication added to your XR experience. ##### Feeling the haptic texture: the third panel One of the most common sensations of haptics for VR/AR/MR is to feel the texture of a virtual object. The Texture panel describes this case. By using this panel, you can explore how haptics generate interesting and different experiences while interacting with static objects. There are 6 materials in the panel, and it is possible to add a different texture to each of them. The haptic experience takes inspiration from the graphic texture added to the different squares. ##### Haptics feelings for actions: the fourth panel The last case explores how tailored haptic sensations enhance immersive actions. In this context, haptics for VR/AR/MR allows to enhance the feeling of a specific element of the scene. Thus, a haptic feedback mimicking the period of the wave on a boat increases the user immersion and, like sound, contributes to the experience of the user. Creating all these cases is extremely easy and intuitive thanks to Haptics Composer. Indeed, it does not require any coding knowledge to create compelling experiences. This is because the Haptics Composer allows to simply visualize each of these cases and quickly iterate your experiences with haptics for VR/AR/MR. Click here to test our demo now! Stay tuned for other contents which show you how the haptic feedback changes your XR experience. Stay tuned for other contents which will show you how haptics for VR/AR/MR changes your XR experiences. Try our beta to design your haptic materials and extend your reality by downloading now our suite. --- ### Easily create hand interactions for VR & MR with Interaction Builder URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/easily-create-hand-interaction-design-for-vr-and-mr/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-02-26 · Category: Product Update > The Interaction Builder will allow you to create endless possibilities to design hand interactions for VR & MR projects. The Interaction Builder will allow you to create endless possibilities to design hand interactions for VR & MR projects. After creating your own haptic materials (as you can see here), this post will show you how to use the haptic designs in your 3D experiences. To help you create your hand tracking for VR/AR/MR environments, we developed a no-code plugin. Its name is Interaction Builder, which allows building hand interaction design for XR content. Thanks to Interaction Builder, you will be able to easily create 3D interactions and streamline the development of your application. ##### How to create hand interactions for VR & MR When you create your XR scenarios, interactions can trigger events in your scenes, such as opening doors, pulling levers, lifting rocks, and so on. Interaction Builder enables the fast creation of multiple and unique scenarios. Our suite has been developed for a wide spectrum of controllers and has support for hand tracking for VR/AR/MR spaces. ##### Any coding knowledge In a few clicks, you will be able to get an understanding of all the features of your hand interaction design. Indeed, the Interaction Builder provides scripts that you can apply to your objects to build complex hand tracking for VR/AR/MR, without typing a single line of code. Furthermore, you can manage events linked to interactions, constraints, or other triggers without effort. For instance, when a slider reaches the maximum position, you can choose to trigger a chosen sound. The Interaction Builder will allow you to create endless possibilities to design hand tracking for VR/AR/MR projects. According to your aim and strategy, you can select the trigger event and the body part to be used (one specific finger, one or two hands, etc.). Alternatively, you can select the general interaction technique (slider, rotation, etc.). Moreover, haptic parameters are fully customizable into interactions settings, to allow the best hand interaction design for your project. For example, a vibrating object can vibrate even if you don’t touch it or only when you grab it. The result will be optimal hand tracking for VR/AR/MR environments. ##### Easily implement haptics sensations into hand interactions Interactions are the most visible XR effect. However, they can’t be perfect without adding haptics. This is why we developed the Interhaptics Engine, which works in synergy with the Interaction Builder. Together, they allow rendering haptic feedback based on the interaction you are performing. Indeed, to be totally immersive, XR experiences need all our senses. By handling all the parameters of your interactions, you can create tailored haptic material for a specific interaction, in order to have the best hand interaction design. Read now our blog post here about how adding haptics into hand interaction design upgrades your VR experiences. Try our beta to create your hand tracking for VR/AR/MR, and extend your reality by downloading now our suite. --- ### Design high-quality haptic feedback for AR/VR, mobile, and consoles URL: https://www.wyvrn.com/blog/design-high-quality-haptic-feedback-for-ar-vr-mobile-and-consoles/ Author: Admin Wyvrn · Published: 2020-02-18 · Category: Haptics > Haptic Composer will show you that haptics can be used as a powerful channel to give new immersive elements to the user in AR/VR, mobile or console experiences. Haptics Composer empowers you to manipulate and compose the desired haptic feedback for your masterpiece. In order to fully design your virtual experience and ease your haptic design, we developed a brand new graphical standalone tool to design, test and iterate your haptic experiences: Haptic Composer . Interhaptics has been created for the purpose of simplifying the design and the development of haptic feedback and interactive experiences. Haptic Composer will show you that haptics can be used as a powerful channel to give new immersive elements to the user in AR/VR, mobile or console experiences. ###### Easily create 4 haptic perceptions Thanks to Haptic Composer, you’ll be able to design 4 haptic sensations at your convenience. The design of Texture, Stiffness, Vibration and Thermal Conductivity will complete your digital world. With haptic feedbacks, you can translate your environment into tangible objects and give them unique characteristics. ###### Drag and drop haptic design Haptic Composer is easy to use. Once downloaded, you’ll be able to create in a few clicks a new and customizable haptic material. While you might take multiple hours to code simple adjustments in your project, with Haptic Composer you can easily and rapidly design your haptic material. Customize your haptic components in a short time, test it in the design environment, and improve your digital experience. ###### Musical-like semantic Haptic design is like a musical mix. You shape your curves by harmonizing the amplitude, frequency, and lengths of your haptic materials. In the end, you will have a pattern, which will represent your texture or your vibration. For example, a heartbeat has the same beat that is repeating itself, which in haptics can be translated to a simple loop of vibrations. ###### Live Preview of your designs You can preview your composed tactile sensations as you create them with a visual representation without the need to plug any haptic device, controller, or hand tracking system. In Haptic Composer’s preview panel, it renders a live preview of all your adjustments. Therefore, you gain time and precision in your haptic designs. For actual immersive iteration, you can try your haptic material in a VR room and test the result in real-time. Interhaptics allows you to design and develop complex interactions and haptic sensations without previous coding knowledge. With Interhaptics, you’ll be able to build and create haptic feedback for several kinds of 3D applications. Now you have a first idea of what is the Haptic Composer and you’ve created your haptic material. Your VR experience also needs realistic and immersive interactions. Click here to build complex interactions without any coding knowledge and extend your reality with the help of your new haptic material. Try now to design your haptic feedback and natural interactions by downloading now our suite.