Today we’re getting a first hand experience with the Emerge Wave 1, a brand new accessory
for Virtual Reality and Quest headsets, that gives you a bare hand touch experience creating
tactile effects that you can feel directly on your hands.
Using Ultrasound technology, it's one of the first devices that allows you to physically
feel the metaverse, without having to hold a controller or put on a glove.
We got a chance to meet with the Emerge founding team, so we could try out the Wave 1 first
hand, and we even got a chance to record a full podcast talking about how they invented
it.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about it, be sure to check that out next.
The Emerge team has spent the last 6 years in R&D developing the Wave 1, which started
out as a fairly large device and is now streamlined into a sleek looking device that you place
on a table.
On the outside, it looks like a small computer, but on the inside is all the innovative tech
that allows this device to create a magic force field in the air.
Emerge is not attempting to recreate real-life textures or solid materials.
They want to redevelop what touch feels like in a digital world.
They are essentially creating a new language of touch and feel in the virtual world.
So, how does it all work?
It uses a technology called ultrasound, basically invisible sound waves at a different frequency
that are going through the air - you can’t see these waves, but you can feel them.
You might be thinking, how is that possible?
Well, remember that sound is a mechanical wave that creates pressure in the air.
When you go to a concert, you feel the music in your chest.
Or when you place your hand close to a large speaker, you can feel it move the air.
It’s a similar concept with the Emerge Wave 1 just on a more micro scale.
They use ultrasonic waves and pack tons of small speakers to emit these waves.
They track the hands using the cameras that are built into the Quest headset, and by combining
this and A.I- they can then reconstruct and even sculpt this acoustic field in 3d.
You can feel this mid-air force field up to 3 feet above the device and 120 degrees around
it.
And when you align that with what you see in virtual reality, your brain starts to convince
your mind that you can feel that object is really there.
So, in this game where you shoot water to clean pigs, you can actually feel like there
is cold water coming out of the bottom of your hand.
Here’s some of our reactions while playing the games and experiences with the Wave 1…
So, now you might be wondering, how much does this device cost
and when is it available?
Emerge just launched their campaign on Kickstarter, and if you pledge $450, you’ll get the Wave
1 device along with their Emerge home app that’s compatible with the MetaQuest 2,
along with their mobile app.
And if you want to get a pair Wave 1’s so you can experience it with a loved one or
friend who lives far from you, a $780 pledge gets you 2 devices, bringing the cost down
to $390 each.
The Wave 1 is estimated to deliver in September of 2022, so now is your chance to get involved
with cutting edge technology that refines what touch will feel like in Virtual Reality.
Alright, that’s it for now.
If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to listen to our podcast with the founder
next.
And let us know what you think of the Emerge Wave 1 and the ultrasound technology that
it uses down in the comments below.