As VR display resolutions become more packed with pixels and new controller types such as Valve’s Knuckles dangle tantalizingly in front of us, one thing that often goes overlooked is haptic feedback. There are plenty of companies out there working to help define the first real haptic standard outside of tiny vibration motors seen already in VR motion controllers, and now it appears Microsoft can be counted among them with their newly revealed CLAW controller prototype.
The prototype contains a servo motor coupled with a force sensor, which imparts force on the index finger during grasping and touching. Using HTC’s Vive Tracker for positional tracking, the prototype also incorporates a vibrating actuator at the index fingertip to mimic virtual textures. While somewhat less exciting in its implications, CLAW can also reconfigure to a trigger mode that delivers haptic force feedback to simulate pulling a trigger on a gun.