Patches You Wear, Will Let You Feel The Virtual World

This will always be used for wholesome reasons, we’re sure. Researchers at Northwestern University have created a new, super-thin wearable device called a haptic patch that lets you feel touch in virtual reality or other digital settings. This patch is flexible, sticks to your skin like a bandage, and can send different feelings like vibrations, pressure, or twisting. Unlike older, bulky haptic devices, this one is soft and moves with your body, making it comfy to wear. It uses tiny electronic parts controlled by a smartphone to make precise sensations, like feeling a virtual object’s texture.

The team tested it on volunteers who could tell apart different shapes and motions, like a square or a poke, with 96% accuracy. This tech could make VR games more real, help people with disabilities feel digital signals, or improve robot-assisted surgeries. The researchers are now working to make it even smaller and wireless for everyday use.

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Clara CHAPPAZ Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy trying out a virtual reality headset during the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival 2025 WAICF in the south of France on February 13, 2025. Clara CHAPPAZ ministre chargee de l Intelligence Artificielle et du Numerique en train d essayer un casque a realite virtuelle durant le World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival 2025 WAICF dans le sud de la France le 13 fevrier 2025. (Photo by Alejandro Martinez Gonzalez / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ GONZALEZ/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ GONZALEZ / AFP / Getty Images


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