Experimental ‘Dexmo’ tech looks to give VR users a sense of touch

Dextra Robotics has unveiled a new peripheral of sorts for VR platofrms that would allow users to experience a sense of touch with virtual objects.

Kotaku reports on the freshly unveiled hardware dubbed Dexmo, which apparently combines a VR controller with a motion capture rig specifically made for hands to reach the desired effect.

Dexmo is a wearable mechanical exoskeleton that captures your hand motion. It provides the possibility for a new type of human-machine-interaction in the field of robotics and virtual reality,” the company’s website reads.

Dexmo senses three to fours degrees of freedom of motion for the thumb, and both the split and bending of the rest four fingers. These data along with the forward and inverse kinematics algorithms built in SDK can provide developers an relatively accurate hand model skeleton.”

The creators have been out and about on Oculus discussion boards to further explain how Dexmo works.

"It works like this, when the avatar you are controlling hits a digital object, a signal is sent back via our SDK to Dexmo F2 and the small actuators actuates, brakes the joint and locks the exoskeleton. When you further bend your finger inwards, a normal force will be created on your fingertip," the creators further explained in a Reddit AMA.

Dextra Robotics is planning to launch a Kickstarter campaign for the hardware later this month. If the funding goal is reached, the company hopes to offer Dexmo commercially at around $200.