About the project
HapticVest - Haptic presence in virtual worlds
The HapticVest project was developed as part of the Master's degree program in Biomedical Information Technology in the elective module Extended Reality (XR).
This wearable vest extends virtual reality (VR) with additional haptic stimulation of the upper body, enabling more intensive immersion in virtual environments. Modern VR applications already offer visual and auditory impressions and the controllers provide tactile stimuli on the hands. The HapticVest supplements these impressions with large-scale tactile stimulation close to the body.
With the help of eight individually controllable vibration motors, events such as results, movements or environmental effects are converted into tangible impulses. Their arrangement on the front, back and sides of the vest enables a clear perception of direction and intensity. The stimuli that are generated are tactile signals. When these are combined with the active movement of the user, haptic perceptions are created.
The vest communicates wirelessly with the VR application via Bluetooth. If the connection is lost, all motors are automatically deactivated and an LED indicates the current operating status. This ensures that no unintentional vibrations occur. The connection can be re-established within a few seconds.
The technical implementation is based on the 32-bit ESP32 microcontroller from the manufacturer Espressif Systems. This serves as a server for Bluetooth communication and controls the eight vibration motors. To minimize delays, the intensity values are transmitted directly in binary form and written directly to the control outputs of the microcontroller.
The VR application was developed using the Unity game engine from Unity Technologies. A specially programmed Bluetooth communication manager ensures that the HapticVest is automatically recognized and events from the virtual environment are converted into corresponding vibrations. The software was programmed in the languages C# (application side) and C++ (firmware of the microcontroller).
In addition, a system has been implemented that recognizes object results at an early stage and triggers corresponding vibration impulses. This creates the impression that touches or collisions correspond exactly with the visual events.
The HapticVest shows how the combination of electronics, wireless communication and VR programming can create a stronger sense of presence. It illustrates the potential of tactile and haptic feedback for applications such as gaming, medical training, VR rehabilitation or learning simulations.
Term:
Summer semester 2025
Contact & Team
Arsenic Lindenberg
