Scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) have developed a wearable system that enables more natural and emotionally engaging interactions in shared digital spaces, opening new possibilities for remote work, education, healthcare, wellbeing, socialisation and gaming.
“This project was born from a simple, deeply human desire: to feel closer to the people we miss,” said Premankur Banerjee, a doctoral student in the Haptics Robotics and Virtual Interaction (HaRVI) Lab at USC and first author of the study.
The system includes gloves and armbands fitted with small, vibration, motors that simulate sensations like pressure and movement. This enables users to perform and feel gestures like pats, handshakes and squeezes within a virtual space. Users can also interact with virtual objects and receive realistic vibration feedback.
The system can support up to 16 users simultaneously, each represented by a full-body 3D avatar that mirrors their real-world movements inside the shared virtual environment. Users can move freely around one another and interact with virtual objects — like passing a cup or completing team tasks.
Lab tests showed that participants felt a greater sense of presence and social connection when tactile feedback was included. The research also explored how different factors, like gesture speed and vibration type, influenced emotional and sensory experiences, providing insights into how to design more engaging virtual touch interactions.
“Developing this technology requires expertise from many fields,” said Heather Culbertson, associate professor of computer science and biomedical engineering at USC Viterbi and the study’s corresponding author. “Our team combines computer science, engineering, neuroscience, psychology and social sciences to create hardware and software that not only functions technically but also supports natural, emotionally meaningful social interactions.”
She added: “People will continue interacting virtually — it’s part of modern life. But how can we make online interactions better reflect the social benefits that come from real-world experiences?”
