Haptic Technology Could be Set for Rapid Growth

According to a recent report, the haptic technology market could be worth $7.1 billion by 2035. Companies are putting a lot of focus into developments, as it’s seen as the key to next level immersion in virtual reality.

The current state of the market involves devices that allow users to feel what they are touching, but it could be set to go way beyond this in the future. Indeed, one day, people may be putting on full haptic suits to enter VR worlds, where they’ll be able to feel everything.

Developers Constantly Striving for Greater Immersion

The world of technology has always been on a trajectory towards greater immersion, which has become much more apparent in the digital age. For example, breakthroughs like live streaming have put people closer to the action than ever before, giving them the sense that they are at the same place as the content they are watching.

In the gaming industry, developers have been working on improving the graphics for decades to make their titles look more realistic. Now, engines like Unreal 5 are almost indistinguishable from real life.

The online slots market is another great example of how games have become more immersive over the years. In the early days of reel spinners, players simply watched as the symbols spun in front of them. Now, when you look at the top 20 slots UK, there are games like Captain Bones: Big Bounty, which are taking players on journeys to fantasy worlds.

VR is the next step forward in the evolution of immersion, but there’s no chance that developers will simply stop at that. Haptic technology promises to expand and enhance that experience further, and could be the final piece in the puzzle towards complete immersion.

What Are the Most Exciting Developments?

There are a few companies spearheading the charge towards accessible haptic equipment, with Teslasuit and HaptX among the most famous. The focus is on figuring out how to simulate pressure and resistance, so that VR users can feel the weight of items that they interact with in the digital world. There’s also talk of playing with temperature and texture, which would provide extra elements of realism.

The trajectory appears to be full-body wearables that can deliver multi-point feedback to users. This would mean that they could feel environmental effects like rain and wind, or even impacts such as punches. Currently, though, the technology is extremely expensive and is a long way away from being ready to market to mass audiences.

It's exciting to think how this technology could develop over the next few decades. VR could be compared to the early console industry currently, back when players thought side-scrolling platform games were revolutionary. In only three decades, those devices now offer detailed, vibrant worlds that players can get lost in.

The same thing will happen with VR. It will become exponentially better over the next few decades, and haptic technology will play a huge part in that. There could one day be a time that users won’t be able to tell the difference between the real and the digital world.

The question is, could that have already happened? Are you simply wearing a haptic suit now and existing within a highly advanced digital setting?