Some folks already find virtual reality devices prohibitively expensive, but the haptic feedback devices that attempt to pull the sensation of touch into the normally visually focused experience of virtual reality tend to command figures that only the likes of Elon Musk might find comfortable. Recently, though, researcher Inrak Choi and colleagues at Stanford's SHAPE lab developed a haptic feedback device for simulating grasping motions that the rest of us may one day be able to afford. It's called the "Wolverine," no doubt because its three rods on three fingers somewhat resemble the claws on the Marvel superhero's hands. As the video below shows, it allows users to interact with objects in virtual reality with their hands much as they would in real life with the help of low-power brake-based locking sliders. As it's powered by Bluetooth, users don't have to worry about tripping over wires (a problem already complicating the use of headsets like the HTC Vive) and its light weight makes it easy to carry around.

Read More at www.motherboard.vice.com