Less than a week ago new models of Valve’s prototype Knuckles controller surfaced in SteamVR Home. The device is an attempt to innovate in the VR space with controllers that allow you to grab and release in VR without being concerned with dropping a controller.
The prototype has made rounds to select developers as they create content for the controllers and now a video from Zulubo Productions has surfaced showing off how players can interact with items in a virtual space with a grip or even an open hand.
The key to the Knuckles controller is being able to freely manipulate items in a virtual experience without worrying about dropping a handheld controller while doing so. VR controllers, in their current forms, have straps simply because some people may accidentally have the natural inclination to release them when mimicking certain types of actions like swinging a sword or throwing an object. We’ve seen what the Knuckles controllers will look like and this demo shows off how they work.
There are sensors on the Knuckles grip that will activate individual fingers and the video starts off showing how, using your index finger and thumb, you can pick up something like a coffee mug in a natural way and then toss it across the room. We also get to see how we can hold an object in place in our hands using different fingers or use our open hands to spin a globe without having to press a button to interact with it.
This type of intuitive control is going to open up lots of doors for VR creators as long as Valve finds a way to get it into homes at a decent price. If you have a prototype and/or want to check out the demo and the source for the interaction, Zulubo has made it all available via GitHub.
