A Japanese start-up is hoping to give individuals the ability to feel pain in virtual reality with new technology.
The technology company, H2L, aims to utilize an armband to give people real-world sensations while in virtual reality using electrical stimulation to mimic arm muscles.
Founded in 2012, Sony-backed startup H2L currently has nine members, including CEO and co-founder Emi Tamaki, 38.
Tamaki—whose research focuses on haptic technologies, or 3D touch—hopes the technology will allow individuals who might not be able to go out much due to illness to participate in these experiences virtually.
"Feeling pain enables us to turn the metaverse world into a real [world], with increased feelings of presence and immersion," Tamaki told the Financial Times.
The wearable technology is not only designed to inflict pain, Tamaki explained. The hope is that individuals will be able to mimic everyday activities including catching a ball or being pecked by a bird, the outlet reported.
"H2L technology conveys weight and resistance feeling to users and avatars on the Metaverse, not only pain," the company tweeted Monday.
Although a strange concept, H2L is only one of several companies focusing on this type of technology that makes the Metaverse literally feel real.
Meta–formerly Facebook–announced in November that researchers have been working on a haptic glove that mimics sensations such as grabbing or feeling a surface, The Verge reported.
A U.S.-based startup called VRgluv is actively working on technology to offer virtual reality training solutions. The wireless gloves can simulate the size, shape, and movement of various objects.
Tamaki said that by 2029, she hopes the technology will be able to "release humans from any sort of constraint in terms of space, body and time."
After a near-death experience in her teens due to congenital heart disease, Tamaki became interested in creating technology that would allow people to have physical experiences that were linked to computers.
"I realized life was precious so I decided to work on a new field that I really wanted to dig into, as there was no one doing research at the time," she told FT.
For Tamaki, being able to mimic real-world experiences while not having to leave the room opens up possibilities for many people who might not otherwise be able.
"People like me, who cannot go out often because I don't have enough muscle due to heart disease, can travel anywhere, anytime," Tamaki said.
Newsweek reached out to H2L for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Samantha Berlin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on trends and human-interest stories. Samantha ... Read more
