[{"command":"add_css","data":[{"rel":"stylesheet","media":"all","href":"\/sites\/default\/files\/css\/css_-kTcRwkqPhQLsqEvdSSyU2XZ3CV5VEleXoE3_xZi2cg.css?delta=0\u0026language=it\u0026theme=hm_theme\u0026include=eJxLzi9K1U8pKi1IzNErSa0oSSxKTdQtSi3OrEoFAJQ3Cqw"}]},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/it\/article\/modal\/10792\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea resize-vertical ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EVirtual-reality tech is fast becoming more real\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine a single technology that could help a robot perform safety checks at a nuclear plant, cure a person\u2019s arachnophobia and simulate the feeling of a hug from a distant relative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to the world of \u201cextended reality\u201d. Researchers funded by the EU have sought to demonstrate its enormous potential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERelevant research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir goal was to make augmented reality, in which the real world is digitally enhanced, and virtual reality \u2013 a fully computer-generated environment \u2013 more immersive for users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the researchers, Erik Hernandez Jimenez, never imagined the immediate relevance of a project that he led when it started in mid-2019. Within a year, the Covid-19 pandemic had triggered countless lockdowns that left people working and socialising through video connections from home. \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We thought about how to apply this technology, how to feel human touch even at a distance, when we were all locked at home and contact with others was through a computer,\u2019 said Hernandez Jimenez.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe coordinated the EU research initiative, which was named \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/856718\u0022\u003ETACTILITY\u003C\/a\u003E and ran from July 2019 until the end of September 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe TACTILITY team developed a glove that simulates the sense of touch. Users have the sensation of touching virtual objects through electrical pulses delivered by electrodes embedded in the glove.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sensations range from pushing a button and feeling pressure on the finger to handling a solid object and feeling its shape, dimensions and texture.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGlove and suit \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018TACTILITY is about including tactile feedback in a virtual-reality scenario,\u2019 said Hernandez Jimenez, who is a project manager at Spanish research institute TECNALIA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe said the principle could be extended from the glove to a whole body suit.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompared with past attempts to simulate touch sensations with motors, the electro-tactile feedback technique produces a more realistic result at a lower cost, according to Hernandez Jimenez.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis opens up the possibility of making the technology more widely accessible.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research bolsters European Commission efforts to develop the virtual-worlds domain, which could provide \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu\/en\/library\/virtual-worlds-and-web-40-factsheet\u0022\u003E860 000 new jobs\u003C\/a\u003E in Europe this decade as the worldwide sector grows from \u20ac27 billion in 2022.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe EU has around 3 700 companies, research organisations and governmental bodies that operate in this sphere, according to the Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPhobias to factories\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe TACTILITY researchers looked at potential healthcare applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EWe thought about how to apply this technology, how to feel human touch even at a distance.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EErik Hernandez Jimenez, TACTILITY\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat\u2019s where spiders come into the picture. They were among the objects in the project\u2019s experiments to mimic touch.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018One that was quite impressive \u2013 although I didn\u2019t like it at all \u2013 was feeling a spider or a cockroach crawling over your hand,\u2019 Hernandez Jimenez said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA potential use for the technology is treating phobias through exposure therapy in which patients are gradually desensitised to the source of their fear. That could start by virtually \u201ctouching\u201d cartoon-like creepy crawlies before progressing to more lifelike versions. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tactile glove can also be used in the manufacturing industry, helping the likes of car manufacturers train their workers to perform tricky manoeuvres on the factory floor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFurthermore, it can help people collaborate more effectively with remotely controlled robots in hazardous environments. An example is a nuclear power plant, where a person in a control room can virtually \u201cfeel\u201d what a robot is touching.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018They get another sense and another kind of feedback, with more information to perform better checks,\u2019 Hernandez Jimenez said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoyful and playful\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Wearables for virtual reality. \u00a9 O\u011fuz \u2018Oz\u2019 Buruk, 2021\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u002200ee6491-0c70-4ef8-acb1-cf6746028f0e\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Picture12.jpg\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EWearables for virtual reality. \u00a9 O\u011fuz \u2018Oz\u2019 Buruk, 2021\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWearable technologies for virtual-reality environments are also being inspired by the gaming industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in a second EU-funded project sought to expand the prospects for technologies already widely used for professional purposes. The initiative, called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/833731\u0022\u003EWEARTUAL\u003C\/a\u003E, ran from May 2019 until late 2021.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EWearables are fashion items \u2013 they\u2019re part of the way we construct our identity.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EO\u011fuz \u2018Oz\u2019 Buruk, WEARTUAL\u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Our project focused on the more experiential side \u2013 joyful and playful activities,\u2019 said O\u011fuz \u2018Oz\u2019 Buruk, who coordinated WEARTUAL and is assistant professor of gameful experience at Tampere University in Finland.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUntil recently, experiencing a virtual-reality environment involved a hand-held controller or head-mounted display.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe WEARTUAL researchers looked at ways of incorporating wearables worn, for example, on the wrist or ankle into virtual reality to give people a sense of greater immersion.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat could mean having their avatar \u2013 a representative icon or figure in the virtual world \u2013 blush when nervous or excited to enhance their ability to express themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOn the cusp\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team developed a prototype that could integrate varying physical sensations into the virtual world by transferring to it real-life data such as heart rate. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuruk is interested in how games will look in the \u201cposthuman\u201d era, when people and machines increasingly converge through bodily implants, robotics and direct communication between the human brain and computers. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe signals that it\u2019s hard to overestimate the eventual impact of advances in this area on everyday life, albeit over varying timescales: wearables are likely to be much more widely used in virtual reality in the next decade, while widespread use of bodily implants is more likely to take 50 to 100 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs technology and human bodies become ever more closely linked, the experience of transferring them to a virtual world will be enhanced, encouraging people to spend increasing amounts of time there, according to Buruk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVirtual-reality technologies are already being used for practical purposes such as gamifying vital information including fire-safety procedures, making it more interactive and easier to learn. This type of use could expand to many areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn a very different front, several fashion houses already sell clothes that can be worn in virtual environments, allowing people to express their identity and creativity. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Wearables are fashion items \u2013 they\u2019re part of the way we construct our identity,\u2019 Buruk said. \u2018Investments in virtual reality, extended reality and augmented reality are increasing every day.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU via the Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-msomvkutdmhmi1ck7oxhz54czbrp7dt7yewhphfbijw\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-msOmVkUtDMhMI1ck7OxHZ54CZbRP7Dt7yEWHphfBijw\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]