C-Lab, Samsung's secret projects division that is instrumental in the development of novel technologies and products for the company, has a new accessory for virtual reality (VR) lovers. Meet the Entrim 4D headset.
Samsung announced the Entrim 4D headset at South by Southwest (SXSW) on Monday. The VR accessory adds an added dimension to the virtual reality experience as it lets the user feel the movements that are happening on-screen.
How does it achieve this feat you wonder? The Entrim 4D headset basically sends electrical signals or impulses to the user's inner ear, which creates the sense of motion.
The project is still in development stage and the headset works on the premise that one can trick the part of one's ear which is responsible for regulating balance and motion.
The device uses Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS), a simple and safe technique that transmits particular electric messages to a nerve in the ear, in conjunction with several algorithms. Thanks to these abilities, the VR headset is able to sync a user's body with the altering motions in the video content.
The electrical impulses or signals that the Entrim 4D headset deploys are similar to the ones used in the medical field to reinstate balance in patients who suffer from strokes. The headphones from C-Lab are kitted with electrodes that can correspond to the "movement data input by engineers."
As a result, the user of the VR accessory is given the illusion that they are part of the action shown in the video. The wearer can also sense the movement's pace, as well the direction. In fact, when one pairs the Entrim 4D headset with the Drone FPV from C-Lab, the sensation of flying is also created.
"Virtual reality shouldn't be experienced only with the eyes," says Steve Jung, Creative Leader of the project. "With Entrim 4D, we hope that people can experience VR the way it was meant to be - with their whole bodies."
The Entrim 4D team has conducted experiments on nearly 1,500 people and created about 30 different types of movement patterns. The team is also working on a version of the accessory that will deploy more electrodes to aid the creation of the sensations of rotational motion.
Jung also let on that with the Entrim 4D, the team aims to remove motion sickness through the simulation of movement with visuals one experiences on a VR headset. It is not known when a consumer variant of the Entrim 4D will ready.
