We had the privilege of meeting Alexey from Senso, the engineer behind the virtual reality haptic feedback gloves we received as part of the generous donation from The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London. We are looking forward to exploring new ways of making technology more accessible for all our pupils and students.

He showed us how these gloves can work in conjunction with virtual reality head mounted displays (HMD) and certain SteamVR games. SteamVR is a software platform that allows users to interact with virtual reality (VR) content on their computers. We identify the best appropriate games that may show potential for use as a learning resource.  
 

Our Occupational Therapist, Tess,  has already been using the gloves on a laptop device to play games by Cognimate on screen. Cognimate has developed a range of therapeutic games that translate the user's hand and finger movements into in-game actions. This allows a student with high support needs, who may not use a traditional mouse or keyboard to interact with a computer. 

In addition to controlling in-game actions, the gloves also provide haptic feedback, which is a technology that gives tactile sensations to the user, simulating the feeling of touch through vibrations. It enhances user interaction with digital environments or devices by giving physical feedback in response to virtual actions. We are exploring this feature particularly for those who may benefit from tactile feedback, as it can help them maintain focus and motivation.