Drag:on - A VR Controller Providing Haptic Feedback Based on Drag and Weight Shift (ACM CHI 2019)

Exploring virtual worlds with a real Drag:on - a novel haptic VR controller based on drag and weight shift!
Video accompanying the CHI 2019 paper:
Title:
Drag:on - A Virtual Reality Controller Providing Haptic Feedback Based on Drag and Weight Shift
Authors:
André Zenner, Antonio Krüger
German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)
Saarland Informatics Campus, Saarbrücken, Germany
Abstract:
Standard controllers for virtual reality (VR) lack sophisticated means to convey a realistic, kinesthetic impression of size, resistance or inertia. We present the concept and implementation of Drag:on, an ungrounded shape-changing VR controller that provides dynamic passive haptic feedback based on drag, i.e. air resistance, and weight shift. Drag:on leverages the airflow occurring at the controller during interaction. By dynamically adjusting its surface area, the controller changes the drag and rotational inertia felt by the user. In a user study, we found that Drag:on can provide distinguishable levels of haptic feedback. Our prototype increases the haptic realism in VR compared to standard controllers and when rotated or swung improves the perception of virtual resistance. By this, Drag:on provides haptic feedback suitable for rendering different virtual mechanical resistances, virtual gas streams, and virtual objects differing in scale, material and fill state.
Full Paper available @ ACM Digital Library
DOI: doi.org/10.114...
More information @ umtl.cs.uni-sa...

[@travisleonard4809]

"This is cool!" *stabs self in throat with fanblade*

[@inceptional]

Totally impractical beyond demo situations like this imo

[@incription]

@@Kgamer64 you literally cannot make it smaller.

[@goldencreedgoldenadonisinc4179]

@@incription actually,It’s possible to make it a wrist mounted device with a Bluetooth link connected to the VR controller so it knows where to have the set weight,drag and inertia.

[@bababoe3913]

@@incription there are many ways to make this smaller

[@skreeus9714]

@@bababoe3913 Kinda not, its directly based on surface area and relies on air resistance for its "weight"

[@bababoe3913]

@@skreeus9714 literally experimenting with new materials and weight values would fix half of that, developing better folding techniques in the same way they are literally doing with satellites would fix the other half. No reason why it can't be made smaller ;/

[@kasperkroer955]

I would not play beatsaber with this.

[@SanoKei]

invents a rocket to cook a hotdog

[@fluffypinkpandas]

Perfect for training to be a Kyoshi warrior

[@moderman512]

Love the idea but can't see it making it to a mass market

[@SanoKei]

honestly yeah. like it's a very creative idea, adding a new force with the same mass you start with is a difficult problems to solve. if you have your arm in a liquid maybe, but that's more impractical. I am looking back at this video and trying to come up with a better solution but I think they go it right the first time to be honest. Everything else feels too elaborate. Honestly tho, his new project with the weight proxy is cool too and it's nice to see him still tackling the idea

[@andrewcampbell9926]

Very cool - good luck with your experiments. In case you're looking for similar ideas: I remember a reddit poster describing a possible way to do this by pumping liquid from a back pack to a bladder on the controller so it really changes weight. He suggested using Galinstan as it's so dense, though water would be a lot safer.

[@hurfmurf3288]

Cool

[@WTFIAMTKL]

interesting

[@user-ig1he7hw4h]

Drag:on these nuts

[@brawlasaur9981]

Who plays with signs

[@vresportsbrasil]

Hey, are you Brazilian?

[@Ysna-re2or]

“Did you remember to consider air resi-“
“Of course, my whole design is based on it”

[@beetlesaysohnwod523]

For as often as im twirling signs while playing vr, I DEFINITELY need this

[@EinJamaisVu]

I'm impressed by your ingenuity 😮

[@ralpholiver2889]

a

[@SanoKei]

b

[@Joel2Million]

very nice

[@123reivaj]

Very clever :]

[@devanshgarg31]

Quite impressive

[@ErenYeager-yc2do]

I can see it's future

[@ericlotze7724]

Very intresting solution to this issue.

[@ericlotze7724]

The only other solution would be some sort of exoskeleton i would think. And this is much simpler, albeit less compact/effective perhaps.

[@ericlotze7724]

Also would make a great mechanism for some sort of cosplay prop!

[@rutyroo]

It need heavier and smaller fans

[@loupax]

Discovered this 3 years late and I’m honestly stunned. Is the concept refined in any way?

[@ghali3059]

Great work !

[@whitedragon1204]

very cool but would it break over time?

[@aikokagura5609]

Its made with cheap and 3d printed parts that are available to the public, so even if it does its easy to fix

[@RoyHoy]

Nice

[@koktszfung]

Why stop at 2 fans? Could you have a fan for every, say, 30 degrees?

[@alexhergert7896]

Мало я стаканов разбил надо ещё больше 😂😂🎉

[@popecillo]

Locomia VR

[@49diewj]

This is pretty cool and all, but a bit of latency and the right haptic feedback is plenty to make something feel like it has Weight.

[@MCInferno]

Ee