Valve’s New Knuckle Controllers
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): TrendBT
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/06/23
Engadget reported on the new knuckle controllers from Valve.
These are the new developments on the new vertical-grip controllers for virtual reality back from 2016. The functional models have been sent out as of 2017. Now, there is another version called the EV2 with changes to the straps, buttons, and sensors. These provide finger motion.
The pressure of touch permits the VR experience of grabbing and squeezing the objects inside of the game.
As stated in the reportage, “Valve originally introduced its vertical-grip “Knuckles” controllers for VR in 2016 and shipped working models to developers last year. Now the company sending game makers another version, the EV2, that has revamped buttons, straps and a slew of sensors that essentially translate finger motion and pressure to let you touch, grab and squeeze objects inside games.”
The changes to the 2016 model for the EV2 are the Steam Controller-style touchpad. It was replaced with a shrunken version, which works with an oval “track button” that can measure the force and the touch.
“That’s flanked by traditional inputs: A joystick (by developer demand, Valve noted in a blog post) and standard circular buttons,” the reportage continued, “The strap is adjustable for different hand sizes and pulls tight to let players let go of the controller completely without dropping it — which could be key for the pressure inputs.”
The new sensors of the EV2 actually track the pressure and the force of the wielder, which may imply some things in the future for the VR developer who wants the players to grab things inside of the real world. Now, the battery life can last about 6 hours. Videos are in the links.
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