Sony is working on a PlayStation VR glove controller

Sony Computer Entertainment’s latest US patent suggests the eventual release of a glove controller for PlayStation VR.

A glove controller, you say? Doesn’t this sound like we’re repeating history?

We seem to recall Nintendo’s Power Glove being a fantastic success. Oh no, wait, it was a colossal failure.

How would this work exactly? The patent does provide some depth about how this actual glove controller interface will function, but we’re still a little sceptical.

The patent itself is titled “Glove Interface Object” and was originally filed on October 17, 2014. However, the patent was only published to the US patent site last week Thursday.

The glove controller promises to have you interact, be it touching, holding or whatever tickles your fancy, with virtual objects displayed on a screen.

The diagram below is supposed to demonstrate how the glove controller might operate. In reality, it’s really just a diagram of how virtually every motion-sensitive, 360-degree tracking peripheral operates.

Source: USPTO

It’s hardly innovate or revolutionary. Fortunately, further information can be found in the full abstract summary of the glove controller:

A glove interface object is provided, comprising: at least one flex sensor configured to generate flex sensor data identifying a flex of at least one finger portion of the glove interface object; at least one contact sensor configured to generate contact sensor data identifying a contact between a first portion of the glove interface object and a second portion of the glove interface object; a communications module configured to transmit the flex sensor data and the contact sensor data to a computing device for processing to determine a finger position pose of the glove interface object, the finger position pose being applied for rendering a virtual hand in a view of a virtual environment on a head-mounted display (HMD), the virtual hand being rendered based on the identified finger position pose.

This next diagram gives you a closer look at the inner-workings of the glove controller’s interface.

Source: USPTO

The device is actually wireless and contains wearable bracelets for both hands.

Each bracelet features an attached LED light that identifies the location and orientation of each glove, by using images captured by the the PlayStation Camera.

It is speculated that this technology will be similar to what can be found in PlayStation Move controllers. The LED lights for each glove controller have adjustable colour selection and brightness settings to name a few.

The bracelets contain a small sensor data CPU as well as a bevy of sensors and buttons for different kinds of user inputs, measuring anything from biometrics to pressure sensitivity.

Just as like the adjustable LED lights found in the glove controller, it’s speculated that PlayStation VR’s head-mounted display will feature LED lights that offer similar functionality to the gloves, with location and orientation tracking.

At this moment in time, there’s no suggested release timeframe for the glove controller.

Will the release date be scheduled at the same time as the PlayStation VR headset? Only time will tell at this point.

We’re left wondering whether this could end up as Sony’s very own version of the Power Glove.