Though the tech has fallen out of fashion for a while, Facebook’s parent company is interested again.
Haptic technology isn’t anything new, but it has fallen out of fashion when it comes to the latest virtual reality experiences provided by major players in VR. That said, Meta recently signed a major licensing deal with Immersion Corporation to leverage patents of that nature.
The idea is to use the tech to enhance Meta’s XR software, hardware and other products.
Immersion Corporation specializes in the development of haptic technology, which it patents to license to other companies. This tech offers users touch-based feedback for virtual and augmented reality hardware and software. Using this type of device is meant to enhance the immersion and realism of a VR/AR/MR experience. This includes training the peripherals to simulate real world experiences.
“We are delighted to grant Meta Platforms, Inc. a license to our patents for haptic technologies,” said Immersion Corporation President and CEO Eric Singer. “We are excited to license Meta Platforms, Inc. for their delivery of high-quality haptics in their devices.”
Haptic technology hasn’t proven popular even as VR and mixed reality headsets are starting to grow.
Even as companies start launching virtual and mixed reality headsets, many of those same companies haven’t paid much attention to haptics or what this type of hardware could provide to the user experience. Still, certain companies have been pouring their energy and resources into that specific category. Names such as HaptX and Senseglove are examples of players in this arena.
Still, while enterprise end-users such as Volkswagen, Honda and Scania have been tinkering with haptic gloves in their work environments, large companies such as Meta have held the tech on the back burner as they’ve been investigating other emerging markets such as artificial intelligence (AI) and spatial computing.
That said, it appears that Meta hasn’t entirely given up on the use of this tech, as the new licensing agreement suggests it could be working on a glove using haptic technology.
This isn’t the first time the company has invested in the tech. In 2022, they acquired Lofelt, a start-up in that market. Moreover, that part of their Reality Labs division has consistently remained funded.
