With vendors flying in from all over the world, it’s a bustling week for the 4,000 plus technology companies who will be attending CES 2018 from January 9-12 in Las Vegas. We will be covering all the best and most innovative VR and AR sports and fitness tech being showcased at CES.
VR Fitness
While using virtual reality there are typically two tracked motion controllers that are used for movement, turning, shooting and other gaming controls. In fitness, controllers have been used as boxing gloves in The Thrill of the Fight, for rhythm boxing in BOX VR, and as a sword in Sword Master VR.
Black Box VR
Black Box VR is the world’s first-ever virtual reality cable resistance experience. As CES 2018’s Innovation Awards Honoree, Black Box is revolutionizing the way technology and fitness looks at getting in shape. Their VR resistance machine targets various muscles groups throughout the body for a diverse and well-rounded exercise experience. Gamers and fitness enthusiasts of all levels, entry to professional, will get a gamified workout that will make their participants forget they’re pushing their bodies because their whole body becomes the virtual controller.
Visit them for a demo of the Black Box VR cable resistance system at CES, Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #44722.
VR Haptics
Virtual reality immerses the senses by whisking players away to awe-inspiring landscapes and exciting action scenes. Haptic feedback sensations tell the participants in VR worlds that their sense of touch is experiencing a real sensation of presence, weight, and shape. What was once only a vibrational buzz on cell phones and gaming controllers are now advancements that haptics companies and development studios are making gains in.
Teslasuit
First, there were gaming controllers that rumbled and vibrated when gamers played a game and took a body hit or started to drift and crash in racing games. The Teslasuit is an AR and VR compatible haptic suit designed by Tesla Studios (No relation to Elon Musk) that gives its wearer touch, impact, and sensations of heat and cold (range of 58-104 degrees F). Zipping into the full body haptic suit is reported to make combat games more realistic, so players will feel the impact of a blade, bullets, or punch without any pain. This technology could see its maximum potential if it gets introduced into esports or competitive VR gaming.
Check out Teslasuit, the AR and VR full-body haptics suit at CES, Sands, Hall G, Booth #51916 at Eureka Park Marketplace, and LVCC, South Hall 2, Booth #MP25678.
Ultrahaptics
Ultrahaptics is developing ultrasound sensory technology that will let their users touch virtually designed objects and characters with their fingertips. Their transducer array boards have tracking sensors that are responsive to the movement of hand gestures. This mid-air technology has been used by The Magic Castle in Hollywood, with their Halloween inspired game INVASION! where players could touch and feel the illusion of energy orbs inside their hands. 4 universities have used the Ultrahaptics SDK to create a rhythm VR game alongside the H2020 Levitate Project. The game was responsive to players gestures and could also be felt on the hands in mid-air with ultrasound technology. VR and AR gaming and experiences would be smart to consider this level of technology for their own cutting-edge and hands-on experiences.
Visit Ultrahaptics at CES at Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #42337 and at Venetian, Level 2, Booth #2706 for more information on mid-air haptics.
VR and AR Wearables
In the past, we’ve covered how compression shirts like e-skin can get valuable health data about its wearers while turning bodies into gaming controllers, or how Manus VR Gloves helped train astronauts for life on the International Space Station. We’ve even seen heart rate trackers and smartwatches help fit gamers reach their maximum potential for cardio, stamina, and fat burn. Now, we’re ushering in a new generation of smart wearables to bring in the new year.
QUS
The QUS smart textile shirt and paired app work together to get helpful data about the body in real time. The smart shirt can be worn throughout the day and during exercise and has a sensor that can track the wearer’s heart rate, breathing, calorie consumption, can tell your location, and can even monitor sleep. The QUS shirt can be washed if it gets sweaty from a run or playing exciting VR fitness games. This smart wearable has big implications for the sports, health and fitness industries, helping their wearers gain valuable data about what’s going on during workouts and athletic training that the naked eye can’t see.
Check out QUS and their smart shirt at Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #44922 for more information.
Solos
Indoor and outdoor cyclists won’t have to keep checking their smartphones or handlebar tech while they’re on the road. The augmented reality Solos smart glasses are paired with an app that can keep track of performance data, ride durations, speed, can help cyclists visualize power, and read heart rate fluctuations. Their AR cycling glasses are lightweight and are hands-free with voice command so riders aren’t distracted on the road. Solos wearers will love that they can pair Strava, MapMyRide, and Training Peaks with the app for cross-platform data sharing.
Get a closer look at Solos AR cycling glasses at Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #45031 at CES.
Coverage
We’ll be covering CES 2018 all week, so keep checking back to see exciting updates about VR and AR sports and fitness technology!