Once again we must cross swords with that great limitation of current virtual reality systems: the fact that they do not track our hands. While there are dedicated controllers that “follow” their location, so to speak, what we want is much more advanced. Intel’s Project Alloy seems to be moving in the right direction, but this time we encounter Dexmo, an exoskeleton glove that allows us to manipulate virtual objects and also receive “tactile feedback” with variable force in each finger.
We know that virtual reality can be “better” than reality, or “different” from reality, but we are more or less convinced that it will never be “equal” to reality. Something similar happens with augmented reality. Placing a Pokémon on a sidewalk where there is nothing is very interesting, however, there always comes a point where we want to interact with all those added elements in special environments. This is the path followed by projects like HoloLens, and the recently announced Project Alloy from Intel. External solutions are also being explored, seeking to “add our hands” in a more advanced way to virtual simulations. And so we arrive at the Dexmo project, developed by the Chinese company Dexta Robotics.
An Exoskeleton for Your Hands
It is a glove, but the first thing that comes to mind when we look at its design is an exoskeleton. This doesn’t mean we’ll be able to lift heavier objects with Dexmo, although it will allow us to manipulate and “feel” virtual objects via “force feedback”. Another very interesting aspect of Dexmo is that the force levels are variable for each finger, and will depend on the object’s properties. That is, we can squeeze a small rubber duck with relative ease, but a more solid object will offer greater resistance. The glove is tracked with eleven degrees of freedom, and it is completely wireless (details about its battery life were not revealed to the public).
From Prototypes to Market
Dexta Robotics created more than twenty prototypes in the last two years (one of them was the Dexmo F2) before arriving at the current Dexmo, but the company’s CEO, Aler Gu, admits that it will be more difficult to bring it to market for the simple fact that the glove is not something that can be taken out of the box and used directly. Dexmo will need developer support in both fields, virtual and augmented reality, before it can comfortably reach store shelves. In a word: Software.
