Haptic PIVOT: Microsoft’s search for new controllers in VR

Haptic PIVOT: Microsoft’s search for new controllers in VR

Microsoft’s latest research on controllers to use in virtual reality is called PIVOT, and it’s probably the most curious we’ve seen so far. It is an accessory to be tied to the wrist which, through a swinging part, tries to simulate the launch and grip of an object in a more realistic way. So far we can identify two different philosophies for interacting in virtual reality: controllers and hand tracking.

The controllers guarantee accuracy in tracking and physical presence, as well as making some movements that we commonly do in video games, such as walking, easy and immediate. Hand tracking exponentially increases the naturalness of interactions with our hands, but it lacks precision, does not allow physical feedback and complicates the solutions that allow us to move in the virtual world.

Microsoft with PIVOT tries to combine the strengths of current technologies to aim for maximum immersion.

We can find the research in the paper titled “Haptic PIVOT: On-Demand Handhelds in VR” written by Robert Kovacs, Eyal Ofek, Mar Gonzalez Franco, Alexa Fay Siu, Sebastian Marwecki, Christian Holz and Mike Sinclair. Extrapolating from the document we learn that PIVOT is attached close to the wrist and with it we are able to reproduce the momentum and resistance of objects thrown and captured, regulated by Newton’s laws, including the simulation of the speed of objects when they reach the hand .

The robotic touch knob opens when needed, moving closer and finally reaching the hand, creating the sensation of first contact, switching from a free hand to one that holds an object, thus mimicking our natural interaction with physical objects in a way that traditional handheld controllers cannot replicate.

Future work may seek to reduce the weight of the wearable device or add more motorized pieces to better align the ball mechanism with the hand. Other sensors could also be added, such as finger detection cameras, which could allow for more precise interactions. The paper details other interim prototypes that had been considered, including a design that featured the grip of an adapted Windows Mixed Reality controller that could swing in the hand and another design with a three-degree-of-freedom joystick.

What do you think of this new PIVOT controller? Could it be a good solution for the VR of the future, perhaps coupled with a new generation treadmill? Let us know in the comments!

Source: UploadVR