Can Tom Cruise's high-tech gloves in "Minority Report" really come true?

Senso is an experimental glove peripheral product that can track the user's fingers and implement tactile feedback in the VR world, including vibration and temperature fluctuations (seeing these functions, I know some people must have thought of it wrongly).

Of course, today's topic is not to introduce Senso's specific technical parameters and solutions. What we want to discuss is people's unwavering love for VR gloves. This love is so lasting that it is no exaggeration to say that it will last forever.

Senso Gloves

When it comes to glove peripherals, most people see them as the future form of game controllers. After all, they are part of everyday wear and are much better at tracking finger movements than handheld game controllers, and their tactile feedback is more realistic. Therefore, such products and concepts are emerging in the market in an endless stream.

We have seen Nintendo's Power Glove and the high-end VPL DataGlove (from VR pioneer Tom Zimmerman) before. If you look around the market, you will find that there are a lot of glove peripherals like Senso. In addition, various Hollywood movies have also added fuel to the fire. The three-finger gloves worn by Tom Cruise in the movie "Minority Report" made people yearn for it.

Although various manufacturers are busy, motion tracking gloves are still on the edge of the market, and the mainstream AR or VR ecosystem does not look down on them. Because such gloves are like embroidered pillows, absolutely good-looking but not practical. Why do you dare to make such a conclusion? Read the following reasons and you will be convinced.

"Fits like a glove" is just a myth

The gloves we usually use are very comfortable to wear because they are small and flexible. However, VR peripherals on the market generally require a large number of electronic components, which means that even if the VR gloves are made in concept, their size will be very exaggerated. If you are not a strongman, I am afraid that playing games with such gloves is like holding two small dumbbells. In addition, if you can't buy VR gloves specially customized for your palms, I am afraid that the so-called vibration feedback effect will be greatly reduced.

If such products are industrial equipment, then the comfort issue is not important, but the fact is that most glove peripherals for mass users are not comfortable enough. If manufacturers are not interested in solving this problem, why do they have to launch such products?

The hardware is too weak to be a killer feature

Compared with traditional tracking cameras, VR gloves can not only recognize the user's hands, but also guess the user's intentions through the precise movements of the fingers. However, the current technology is still not mature enough to achieve "ten fingers connected to the heart". For example, the user's hands need to be opened to a certain extent before the algorithm knows that you want to grab something. In addition, the physical system of the gloves needs to ensure that the items do not slip from your fingertips.

Leifeng.com learned that Leap Motion, which was previously mired in fraudulent allegations, has invested a lot of energy in software design, but the entire system is still far from perfect. For ordinary startups, it is simply impossible to waste a lot of energy and time on this.

Therefore, no matter how these peripheral manufacturers promote their products, their experience is still not as good as the weird cup holder handle on the HTC Vive.

Creating a realistic sense of touch is not easy

If you want to experience a true VR immersion experience and blur the line between the virtual and real worlds, vibration, temperature and touch alone are probably not enough. After all, when you hold a giant sword and fight a boss in the virtual world, you must hold a real object in your hand to avoid feeling weird. The physical sense of touch cannot be created by a few electronic components.

To truly achieve a leap in experience, we may need to turn to hand exoskeletons with force feedback. However, this product looks a bit scary, and it will take time to integrate motion recognition, tactile feedback, comfort and other functional features.

VR gloves are uncomfortable and unhygienic

Gloves are appendages of the palm, so they not only touch external objects, but also stick to the palm all the time. Imagine a summer scene, your sweat will soak the gloves from the inside, and the external dirt will not let go of the surface of the gloves. This is really hard to describe. Since VR gloves are electronic products, cleaning is a luxury. This very inconvenient design will probably only be covered with dust after the novelty wears off.

If the only selling point of Senso is that it does not require an external camera, then it is probably that. However, for users, it does not matter whether there is a camera or not as long as it does not affect the experience, but the inconvenience of using VR gloves is a flaw that is inherent in the VR world.

If VR gloves are rejected, is there a better solution?

Gest somatosensory gloves

Although it is difficult to achieve, VR control systems with tactile feedback are still the direction that the industry will pursue in the future. Since gloves don't work, we have to seek help from other solutions. Now it seems that motion control jewelry (yes, it's really jewelry) is quite reliable. It has the advantages of gloves (no need to cover the entire palm). In addition, the Gest somatosensory gloves gave us a good demonstration (although this product is finished), and the Myo armband is also very interesting. At least it won't be as uncomfortable to wear as gloves.

If we have to set a future for this type of product, then self-cleaning and first-class toughness electronic skin will be the ultimate form of the VR glove concept. However, under the current technology, this product can only be regarded as a concept.

If gloves are to gain a foothold in the market, they must make a comprehensive leap in experience and wearing comfort, but it is not easy to perfectly combine the two.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.