'Touching the Void' allows users to feel objects that aren't
really there. Consisting of a pair of gloves and a pedestal that are both
embedded with electronics, 'Touching the
Void' depicts virtual objects by vibrating when the user's fingers enter the
space occupied by the object. The data of user's finger position is tracked by
a sensor device embedded in the pedestal, then fed to a micro-controller to
activate the corresponding vibration motors beneath fingertips.
Guided by where the vibration
happens, the audience will gradually understand the shape of the object and
construct the image of it in their mind. As the user tries to understand the
form of the virtual object, they become a performer of sorts while those
watching the interaction take place get a visual sense of the virtual object as
well. The creation of an apparatus that gives sensory qualities to virtual
objects is certainly an ambitious undertaking.
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