I think its time to let you know about the prototype. Its undergoing the patenting process atm and im currently looking for a company to take it on to further develop. Couldn't get through to Valve yet and have had some discussion with Sony so far.
"The present invention concerns a haptic feedback device and in particular a haptic feedback device for providing directional haptic feedback to a user using a device such as a video game controller, mobile phone or tablet". - the first line in the patent draft
What is it
So what it is and what it could mean to you, a potential maker and player of games [n.n] Its a design around a set of emitters based on the hand placement on the controller. These placements allow the vibrations to be felt at certain points of the hand giving a directional impression. The placements of these give a 360 plane of vibration that accumulates to a 360 perspective of the game world in a first person perspective and a directional in a third person perspective. The variations of these allow another game mechanic to be used in giving the player feedback.
The designs are at the moment a 4-8 single emitter style and a strip emitter style. What this means is 2-4 emitters on the left hand and 2-4 emitters on the right hand spread along the grip from palm to fingers. The strip style is a continuous strip from palm to the fingers. Protruding bumps are also viable to focus the vibration, housing and mitigation as well for inside the case on the emitters.
This design can also work in conjunction with the standard vibration emitters within controllers today. The designs place the emitters so that vibration is intimately directed to the users skin on the base of the palm to the tip of the fingers. If you were racing in game and some one nudged your car on the back left for example, your left palm; near the ball joint at the wrist, would feel that contact with the emitter.
Or your feeling your way around in the dark in an alley trying to loose an attacker, stumble out and get hit by a car and roll on the road then wake to see your attacker punch you in the face. Now that's a little detailed but can you imagine how feeling that would intensify the connection you have with the character? Incorporating a mechanic that requires no visuals would benefit visually impaired players and add more to the sense that I feel has been neglected in developed tech lately.
Here is a rough layout of the 8 emitter models
Backstory
This idea evolved in my third year at uni and was initially going to be my project but it was dismissed as not being related to audio enough at the time. Which is fair enough because I was new to all this and couldn't do it on my own at the time. The idea began because of my research into spiders. I chose to research something unappealing to see what ideas came from it. It actually turned out to be an interesting discovery on what a spider is and can do and that led me to the web it uses. Check out their legs btw, amazing.
Through the web im sure you know it senses vibrations along the threads and I believe knows the direction of the prey because of the initially hit leg with the wave and then subsequent legs, similar to how we perceive left and right (but with 8 "ears"). As an audio guy this intrigued me to no end and even started writing docs for games with spiders. However the idea was to input it into Sonys smaller controller with the sixasis and it didn't have vibration, because it interfered with the sixasis. Research stopped and I moved on.
It was sometime after this that I decided to build the controller, along came dualshock 3 capable of using sixasis and vibration emitters. Unemployed and needing a project to keep positive about things. It was my first self directed project in a while and knowing little about the physics behind setting up a circuit, long forgotten teachings in secondary school. The project began bumpy with the first prototype failing but the second succeeded and with that diving into coding for a while. Just enough to test the emitters, and they worked. In honours year being mentored by Yann Seznec co-founder of Lucky Frame, he later helped me with directions to sites and such for help.
What now
Now what could I do with it? Well, managed to get a sales job and saved to pay for a patent lawyer after concluding it would be the next logical step if this project was to keep going. All my savings (plus some backing from my family) straight to this little hope I had, and here it is now. Patent pending and looking to get it off the ground [n.n]
I would like to get this tech incorporated into sound designers tools as well as programmers. For me, the touch sense would partner very well with sound in games. That is my next step once the design is taken on by a company and developed; which hopefully I can stay a part of. I'd really love this to take off and get everyone involved when it does, possibly being a small step in a larger unseen plan. Let me know what you think.
Have a great day
SGW
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