Feeling the shots of a weapon in the chest, the blow of a ball in the abdomen or a hug while enjoying a video game is now possible due to the creation of a jacket that allows the player to perceive on his skin the sensations of the characters he handles in the virtual world.
The garment, created by Spanish startup OWO Game, adds a plus to the world of video games and allows an immersive experience thanks to a kind of electrodes placed on the back and front of the torso that offer different sensations depending on the type of stimulus that is being received.
The objective of this revolutionary clothing is “to turn the virtual world into a real one by adding the sense of touch”, as explained by the general director of the company, José Fuertes, who with his idea intended to “turn into the avatar of the video game or in the protagonist of the filmto the people who own it.
Become the avatar of a video game
In addition, Virtual Reality (VR) glasses can be added to this haptic jacket -linked to touch- and joysticks for playing video games.
It can be used on various devices such as televisions, computer and mobile phones and can also be used to “feel” a movie or the vibrations of a song.
“If you are in the metaverse -a virtual universe- you will be able to feel a hug, a caress, the rain or the wind“, details Fuertes, which guarantees more intense emotions in a video game or film, when you can feel your arm being grabbed, a shot, the recoil of a weapon, a dagger wound or a free fall.
The experience is realistic to the point that if a sniper shoots you from a roof you feel like the bullet goes through your lower back, while if they stab you with a knife you feel the sensation of a tear in the skin and the subsequent fall of blood from the wound, for example.
The Malaga-based company, which has invested 1.2 million euros, claims to be in the launch phase and in talks with technology companies such as Microsoft, HTC or Vodafone to sell the product worldwide. It is expected that by the end of the year it could be on the market with a price of less than 400 euros.
In talks with tech giants
The United States and Japan are the countries in which this garment has aroused the most interest. In the first of these, OWO Game has been awarded in 2022 at the Consumer Electronics Fair (in English CES) of Las Vegas (Nevada, USA) with an Award for Innovation by the American Technology Association.
To experiment with this garment, the start-up has created a game in which you must shoot drones and it has adapted to its technology the trailers of films such as ‘Avatar’, ‘Star Wars’ or ‘Ready player one’, as well as well-known video games such as ‘Fortnite’.
The entrepreneur Javier Molina, who works in the same building, has borrowed the jacket for the first time. This very surprised has pointed out that this technology “gets you quite into the game” and that being shot from behind or attacked by a lightsaber is “an amazing experience” that keeps you going.
The company is considering possibility of creating other garments with this technology in the futuresuch as pants or gloves. This product, aimed at people over 18 years of age, could enable players to do what they long for: feeling inside the video game.
Source: Lasexta
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
