This t-shirt will really shock you in VR

Image: Owo

The Owo T-shirt gives tangible feedback in VR like a haptic vest, but with electric shocks up to the personal pain limit.

That virtual reality-It’s no secret that enthusiasts endure a lot for their hobby. Users of the haptic Owo T-shirt must have a particularly high level of endurance: the haptic vest with sleeves gives the wearer electric shocks to avoid the feeling of being shot or stabbed VR games to imitate.

Even gentle feelings like a breeze or a hug can be felt with the help of electrical stimulation. Nine parameters of the pulse wave allow different sensations. Developers can also create “feelings of their own” to include in Unreal or Unity projects.

Haptic vest with electrostimulation

the necessary ones Electrodes are stuck in ten positions under the stretchy fabric. Manufacturer Owo advertises high conductivity with a resistance of less than 100 ohms.

Undershirts are taboo for good contact with the skin. After all, no electricity should be wasted without noticeable effects.

“Players can feel the wind as they free fall off the bus in Fortnite, feel the sense of being wounded in game, and feel the enemy Nexus blast upon victory in League of Legends,” says the Malaga-based startup.

There Fortnite isn’t coming to VR any time soonother titles are more exciting for virtual reality-Friends. The catalog of natively supported PC VR games with customized “shock effects” is still manageable. It includes, among others, the shooter Crisis VRigade 2, the musical boxing game Song Beater and the action title Drone War.

Among the “semi-native” VR games with emulated effects are bigger names. That includes the shooters Bonelab and Arizona sunshinethe rhythm games Beat Saber and pistol whip as well as sword fighting Until You Fall.

Lynch: Great for shooting pains

According to the manufacturer, a USB-C charge lasts eight hours so that the vest doesn’t go limp in combat. The shirt, available in nine sizes, weighs less than 600 grams and takes wirelessly Bluetooth 5.2 (BLE) contact to Owo app on.

The latter is available for Windows, iOS and Android and was created in cooperation with Overwolf. The platform of the same name ensures the integration and monetization of in-game apps, mods or private servers.

VR analyst Brad Lynch reports after a rehearsal session at CES that he “stabbing feelings” perceived as particularly authentic “Getting shot, stabbed, or pierced are probably the most realistic feelings you’ll get from this suit.”

Appropriately, a demo includes a knife that rotates in the body after it has been punctured. For high fives or “back rubs” on the social app VRChat the system is less suitable, according to Lynch.

VR blogger and developer Antony “Skarredghost” Vitillo reports that the feeling conveyed differs from other haptic vests. He didn’t just feel superficial tingling or pain. An important factor of electrostimulation is that too Muscles under the skin contract.

Owo gets under your skin

The feeling of vibration is not only felt on the surface, but in the body itself: “It was a real torture machine,” reports Vitillo, who also felt a swarm of insects on his skin during the demo.

Before that, however, he calibrated the current individually. Ultimately, a compromise that wasn’t too weak, but also didn’t constantly reach the pain threshold, proved to be sensible, according to Vitillo.

Lynch warned against setting the electrical impulses too intensively: An acquaintance even told him of a fall after all the electrodes had caused the muscles to contract at the same time.

Cleaning and durability could prove to be problematic. Before washing with cold water, the gel patches that make contact with the skin must first be removed. Vitillo also reported slipped electrodes in his sleeve, which he first had to adjust after putting them on.

The price for Owo is 499 euros, Pre-orders get them for a reduced price of 399 euros with immediate payment. Alternatively, a reservation is also possible for 50 euros. For the first 2,000 vests, Owo also offers a personalized hexagon design (no right of return). A delivery date has not yet been set.

The pre-order Founder’s Edition haptic Owo vest comes with customizable honeycomb patterns. | Image: Owo

Virtual reality becomes noticeable

While electrodes are still required for the Owo vest, there is already an alternative in the field of haptic gloves: The AI Silk Haptic Metaverse Glove sends electrical feedback through coated fibers. Incidentally, the same fabric even tracks finger movements.

However, the majority of haptic systems still work with rumble motors and counter pressure. Here is an overview of some of the coolest products for haptic VR.

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