We told you that if not smart home, 2016 will be the year of virtual reality. The VR era has just started but we know it’s going to expand as more companies and developers are diving into this thing. Numerous apps and VR devices were introduced last year but they’re not enough for us to say that the virtual realm is already “there”.
Good thing there are groups who are interested to advance virtual reality. For one, Samsung, via the Samsung Creative Lab, has given birth to a project that is expected to bring VR to the next level. If Microsoft has the Garage Project, this Samsung Creative Lab is the tech giant’s venue where employees can work on their ideas and projects.
The latest project being shown off at this week’s CES is the Rink—a new pair of wireless controllers for VR headsets available in the market. This one uses magnetic field tracking and IR that connects with a special emitter box on top of a TV or computer monitor.
The Samsung Gear VR is being tested to work with the Rink but any VR viewer should be supported by this controller that fits the palm. Fingers are free to move so that means you can even type on a virtual keyboard if there is a need.
The Rink VR controller certainly has potential. Yongjin Cho, creator of Rink, said that its future will ultimately depend on Samsung. The company may have to see first how the public reacts to the Rink. The South Korean tech giant is one of the forerunners in the virtual reality business rolling out the Gear VR and teaming up with developers to create more games and experiences.
Aside from VR headsets and apps, there is a need for VR controllers and this is where Rink comes in. Oculus already has the Rift VR headset and the Oculus Touch controllers were just introduced. The latter have yet to arrive and so Samsung has more time to catch up.
As with other VR headsets and controllers, the Rink still needs a lot of refining. We’re still in the early stages of virtual reality but Samsung has an edge now with the Rink. Let’s see if and when the company will finally put interactive virtual reality on the map.
VIA: SlashGear
