One thing that most Big Tech companies working on smart glasses have yet to discover is how to interact effectively with an augmented reality environment. Apple is very noisy work on your own pair of RA glasses and apparently consider vibrant haptic socks to fix this problem.
A new one patent seen by AppleInsider it mainly describes a tactile output device that “may include foot-shaped structures with cavities configured to receive users’ feet ”. The support structure that can be used with the foot will also feature an “array of haptic output components” that work to “apply feedback” to the bottom and top of a person’s foot, possibly to create a sense of movement even if the foot does not move. “These forces can provide the user with the feeling of resting or sliding on a tiled surface or another surface with surface irregularities,” the patent says.
Technically speaking, the patent says that the “support structure that can be worn with the feet” should not be a sock. It could also be a shoe. Or just something you click your foot on. The patent is also quite vague as to what type of device these haptic socks (or shoes) would provide you with. They mention joysticks, buttons, scroll wheels, touchpads, keyboards, keyboards, microphones, speakers, tone generators, vibrators, cameras and even cooling systems. It also discusses a number of sensors, including those expected as force and touch sensors, as well as sensors for detecting temperature, air pressure and humidity. Apparently, Apple doesn’t want sweaty feet to eliminate the experience of what you were thinking of wearing these fun socks.
Of all the things Apple is supposed to be working on, its niche VR headsets and AR smart glasses are the most likely candidates. From a gaming standpoint, something like this would definitely help make Apple’s headphones feel more immersive. It’s a cake in heaven thought out but theoretically, you could use them to simulate walking without a user actually moving.
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As ridiculous as vibrant socks look, it’s also not entirely out of the left field. Facebook Reality Labs, the social media giant’s division working on its RA projects, recently posted a blog detailing a similar view of “Soft wearables” to help users interact in virtual environments. Of course, Facebook was talking about gloves and wristbands, which are a little more intuitive than, well, socks. Still, this is an extension of that same line of thinking.
You shouldn’t bet on Apple launching any kind of VR or AR device with these babies. Big Tech files patents all the time just to put the stamp on an idea in front of a competitor, and right now it looks like all the major players are plugging in some sort of consumer smart glasses. But it does show us where Apple’s head is, notoriously secret, when it comes to one of RA’s biggest problems. But personally, I have no intention of ever showing any doubt to Apple or any other tech company.