Japanese startup wants to bring real physical pain to the metaverse
While buying land and starting a new life in the metaverse is getting more and more attention, a Japanese startup is trying to bring physical pain to the metaverse by blurring the boundaries between the real world and the virtual world.
Japanese startup H2L Technologies, backed by Sony, is designing a wearable device that delivers tiny electric shocks to users to further blur the lines between the metaverse and the real world when it comes to actually thinking, feeling .
Meta researchers came to the fore last year with the idea of a wearable glove with haptic feedback. But H2L turns that idea into a more painful experience. Emi Tamaki of H2L tells the Financial Times that feeling pain can help bridge the gap between the metaverse and the real world.
SPACE, BODY, WANTS TO AVOID THE TIME LIMIT
Tamaki’s goals are lofty, as she hopes to free humanity from the constraints of space, body, and time within the next 10 years. Tamaki said the idea for the tactile wearable came from a near-death experience in her youth due to congenital heart disease.
Contrary to critics’ view that the Metaverse will distract users from the real world, Tamaki believes his invention will allow them to better connect to the outdoors, especially for those who lack real-life muscle and mobility due to illness.
The wearable device developed by H2L is so sensitive that it can reproduce all tactile sensations, from the sensation of catching a ball to a bird pinching the wearer’s skin.
