HaptX wins $1.5 million NSF grant to create full-body haptics for VR

Virtual reality headsets are already advanced enough to make your brain believe you’re moving through an artificial 3D space, but VR hardware makers are still working to replicate the physical sensations of touch and force — not just in hands, but across users’ bodies. Today, VR glove maker HaptX announced it has won a $1.5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to bring haptic feedback to users’ arms and legs, a project that’s been quietly underway for years.

Co-developed by HaptX with research partners from Virginia Tech and the University of Florida, the ForceBot project is meant to yield an enterprise-class, full-body haptic solution, combining a robotic exoskeleton with microfluidic touch feedback. The goal is to let wearers go beyond feeling virtual objects, enabling them to move across virtual terrain while experiencing passive and active constraints on their movements. Initial VR applications are expected to include training for industrial skills, emergency responses, and professional sports.