Bridging an obvious shortcoming in VR technology By combining research in perceptual illusion with this new technology, we will be able to create a real sensation of touch within the virtual reality, remotely”, explains Andreas Kalckert. “This is a system that makes it possible for the sensation of touch to be generated remotely by projecting ultrasonic soundwaves onto the user’s skin. In order to recreate the sensation of touch, the researchers will use an entirely new technology that has previously been relatively unused in a research context. Participants will see their virtual arm but will experience the sensation of touch on their real arm. Now the researchers want to introduce this into a virtual environment. The participant can then experience the sensation of touch when the experimenter touches the fake hand. The participant can see the fake hand but the real hand is hidden. The illusion is achieved by touching the real and the fake hands simultaneously. Brand new ultrasound technologyĪndreas Kalckert talks about experiments with rubber hands, where participants can experience a prosthetic hand in the same way as their own. There, VR technology will be combined with psychological experiments in the field of consciousness research – interdisciplinary research aiming to enable us to experience physical touch within a virtual environment, and that could be applied in a variety of fields. But what if we were able to meet virtually but still experience physical contact? Could that even be possible?Īt the University of Skövde, researchers Andreas Kalckert, who is a senior lecturer in cognitive neuroscience, and Maurice Lamb, a senior lecturer in information technology, are working together to build a new laboratory. This often resulted in depression and an increased sense of isolation. We watched each other on a screen, interacting at a distance.
The coronavirus pandemic deprived us of physical contact, such as a stroke on the cheek or a hug.
Will the scientists succeed in making a virtual hug feel real? It will combine psychological experiments in consciousness research with VR technology.
A new lab is under construction at the University of Skövde.