This $25,000 robot will let you knock over some wooden blocks in VR

There’s a lot that today’s VR systems can do to really make you feel like the virtual world you’re in is as close as possible to the world you inhabit. Together, the high-resolution screens, head tracking, room-mapping cameras, and motion controllers on high-end systems such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift really can make the digital world look real.

But the holy grail of virtual reality isn’t just seeing these fantastic worlds and experiences — it’s feeling them. Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have taken a step forward toward that end with their HapticVive system, which uses an HTC Vive headset and controller along with a Baxter robot to help simulate physical resistance.

It's far cheaper to simply buy some wooden blocks...

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This $25,000 robot will let you knock over some wooden blocks in VR
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