Haptic vibrotactile vests for VR and deaf-blind communication

At the symposium of Haptic for Inclusion held at the University of Borås, Sweden, Suitceyes and Aktronica showcased two types of vests that provide haptic feedback. The EU- funded HORIZON 2020 Suitceyes vests provide haptic feedback to deaf-blind users. Vibratory motors placed across the vest are programmed to convey deaf-blind communication signs to the body of the user. Those can be useful, for instance, when the same message is intended for multiple deaf-blind users in a classroom/conference/ etc. Aktronica’s vest, on the other hand, comes with a connected VR environment such that the user may feel what he/she is seeing. For example, when trying the vest, I was able to feel rain drops, a grenade explosion and gun shots, common in video games.