New Tech Advancement Could Pave Way for 'World's First VR Kissing Booth', Says Media

The modified VR headset may potentially allow the wearer to experience simulations that involve "the feeling of an object sliding or swiping across the lips, or persistent vibrations".

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have managed to modify a virtual reality (VR) headset so that it allows the wearer to experience a sensation of touch in and around their mouth, Gizmodo reports.

The team from the university’s Future Interfaces Group apparently managed to achieve this feat without adding "any hardware that actually makes contact with the wearer’s face" to the set.

Thanks to an array of ultrasonic transducers attached to it, the modified headset is now capable of creating a sense of touch on one’s lips, as well as on their teeth and tongue, if the wearer’s mouth is open.

This setup also allows creating "the feeling of an object sliding or swiping across the lips, or persistent vibrations", the media outlet notes.

The technology in question may make possible VR simulations of eating and drinking, or, for example further enhance the realism of experiences that involve walking or running, by creating the feeling of wind touching a person’s face.

The commercialisation of this tech, the media outlet suggests, could even lead to the creation of "the world’s first virtual reality kissing booth… among other experiences the researchers are probably wisely tip-toeing around".