Researchers at slot Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group have assembled a VR immersion tool that has an array of ultrasonic transducers sending acoustic energy to a user's mouth,
creating haptic feedback. Ultrasound impulses can be sent to simulate a single tap, pulses, swipes and vibrations, according to the research, which was spotted earlier by Gizmodo. These vibrations can be felt on the teeth, tongue and lips.
The system doesn't require users to affix anything to their mouths for haptic feedback. "Consumers do not want to cover their entire face, let alone put something up against (or into) their mouth," the researchers noted on their website.
A video published Wednesday by the Future Interfaces Group demonstrates the VR headset with an ultrasonic array attached for mount haptics. One example includes a video game in which spiders would jump on a user's face, giving them the sensation that an arachnid is crawling over their lips.