Sometimes, gaming companies inject a little oomph into video game controllers. Vibration, motion control and — if it catches on — 3D are all designed to draw the player in more. Now, MIT adds to one more ploy to that list: heat.
The controllers would heat up or cool off a few degrees in either direction depending on what's going on in a game. Racing through a snowy climate would have chill players' hands, for instance, and an exploding barrel nearby would warm them up.
From MIT's Technology Review:
A pair of thermoelectric surfaces on either side of a controller rapidly heat up or cool down in order to simulate appropriate conditions in a virtual environment...The temperature difference isn't large — less than 10 degrees heating or cooling after five seconds, but the researchers involved discovered that...just a little sensory nudge can be enough to convince involved participants in a virtual environment that they are experiencing something like the real thing.
Via Fidgit our sister site all about gaming
