Disney’s virtual reality jacket can make you feel buff without hitting the gym
The jacket’s system can also recreate the sensation of being hit by a snowball or being tapped on the shoulder
By Magdalena Petrova
Virtual reality is already pretty realistic, but tactile experience is currently limited to handheld sensations or simple vibrations.
Disney is trying to create a more immersive VR experience with Force Jacket. The prototype is made from a converted life jacket that’s been retrofitted with 26 airbags.
Using an air compressor, vacuum pump and a number of sensors, each airbag can be manipulated to replicate a sensation such as being hit in the chest by a snowball.
So far, researchers have been able to recreate the sensation of getting tapped on the shoulder, being punched in the side and having a snake coiling its body around the user.
People wearing the vest can even feel what it’s like to have their muscles grow to the size of a superhero’s.
