I am the controller now: MIT engineers have created a 'second skin' that could one day track whole bodies in VR

Researchers at MIT have developed a sheet of optical fibers capable of digitally reconstructing its shape while being bent and folded. This innovative technology could be integrated into a garment, enabling it to mirror real-world movements accurately in virtual reality (VR) games. Currently in a bulky prototype stage, the flexible sheet could one day serve as a "second skin," providing more precise tracking of surface transformation rather than fixed points, as seen in traditional motion capture suits.

Remarkably, the sheet maintains functionality even when punctured, suggesting durability in VR applications. Light passing through the bendable optical fibers is tracked and interpreted by an algorithm developed specifically for this purpose. The sheet's movement dictates the extent of light transmission, a characteristic known as a waveguide.

Qifan Yu, a mechanical engineering graduate student at MIT and co-author of the paper, explains that while waveguides have been used to sense line shapes in robot arms, this is the first time they have been applied to surface shape sensing. The team's algorithm reconstructs the sheet's movement with an error margin of less than 0.4 centimeters, compared to 1 to 2 centimeters for current rigid sensor designs.

Potential uses extend beyond gaming, including aiding physical therapy patients by gathering data on their movement and stretching during rehabilitation. The researchers plan to further miniaturize the prototype, with the possibility of reducing the optical fibers to a thickness thinner than a human hair.