Apple Patents Virtual Reality Gloves

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The U.S. Patent Office has recently published a patent application relating to a virtual reality (VR) glove that can measure the movement of individual finger and thumb bones. The VR gloves, developed by Apple, are constructed using smart fabric technology and has several applications including games, education, and military training.

VR technology can be used to simulate a virtual environment and the user’s presence in that environment. VR technology can utilize other VR devices to make the user’s experience in the VR world feel more realistic. Putting on a VR headset can help you see and hear the virtual world, VR cameras can be used to take aspects from the real environment and implement them in the virtual world, and VR gloves can be used so that the user can interact with objects in the virtual world.

Apple’s VR glove is capable of tracking the movement of individual finger and thumb bones. The invention includes several inertial measurement units to track the movement of one or more fingers. These units include motion sensors, such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope, that allow for measuring the position and movement of objects. The VR glove may also include magnetometers and electrodes for determining direction and sensing touch.

Apple mentions that the VR glove is capable of fine level motion capture. This means that the glove is capable of telling the difference between the movement of an entire finger and the movement of a single joint. The glove is also capable of allowing the user to interact with a simulated virtual environment, giving the user the ability to touch, feel, and hold virtual objects.

Patentlyapple.com mentions that the electronic components of the VR glove can be integrated into the fabric of a knitted or woven glove.

Apple patent application was originally filed back in 2018, it is not yet know when such a product will reach markets, if at all.