Exploring the Hands Physics Lab on the Oculus Quest
Today, I had an exciting journey with the Oculus Quest, immersing myself in a virtual world where my hands could see and interact with objects, even though they couldn't physically feel them. It was a fascinating experience, as if I had temporarily lost all sensation in my hands, yet I could still visually perceive myself holding and manipulating these virtual items.
What surprised me was the aftereffect. When I took off the Oculus Quest and started typing on my computer keyboard, it felt strangely unfamiliar. My hands were moving, and I could feel the keys under my fingertips, but my eyes seemed to disconnect from the process at first. It took a little time for my senses to realign and work together again.
In the virtual world, your brain cleverly uses its understanding of the size and shape of objects, and your past experiences of reaching and grasping similar items, to compensate for the lack of tactile and proprioceptive input. It's quite a learning curve, but it's also a fun and fascinating process.
The Hands Physics Lab guides you through various activities - from grasping a crayon and coloring, to untangling blocks on a string, pushing buttons, flipping switches, and even petting a virtual cat! The most intriguing part was that despite not physically touching the cat, my mind was able to simulate the sensation based on past experiences.
As virtual reality technology continues to advance, we may see the introduction of gloves or similar devices that can provide tactile feedback. This could revolutionize the landscape of Occupational Therapy (OT) and take our sensory experiences to a whole new level. It's a thrilling prospect to think about - the future of virtual touch is here!
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