FAQ

Yes totally! The vest can be used in any game be it VR or flat screen game as it provide support for it or by using the automatic Audio-to-Haptics conversion feature.

No, the vest can be used for any game, any video video or music in general as long as the software used either provide support for Skinetic or by using the automatic Audio-to-Haptics conversion feature.

The actuators used in the Skinetic vest can portray a wide variety of vibrotatile sensations rather than the traditional buzz you get from your cellphone or other vibratory devices. The produced vibrations are as complex as sounds - the actuators are similar to speakers except that their purpose is to make the skin vibrate rather than the air, but at much lower frequencies. Hence, the possibilities are endless. Our Unitouch Studio provides 200 samples that can be assembled in order to compose the desired sensation.

The vest can only generate vibrations, no impact or electrical shocks, which decrease greatly the probability of getting hurt. The sensations can be intense and uncomfortable for some. But in the end, these are only vibrations whose intensity you can actually control.

Anyone over 18. It must not be used by people who have a cardiac pacemaker or metal implants.

Skinetic is designed to meet all relevant UL (60065), CE (60065) and FCC regulations. The EMF Magnetic Field is ~5% of the ICNIRP safety guidelines. For more information, refer to the ICNIRO guidelines

No, in the same manner that pacemakers must not have any magnets in their vicinity, Skinetic contains permanent magnets and could disturb the pacemaker.

Yes, they are spread all around the torso - not just the front and the back but also on the sides and, some modules are more powerful at specific areas. In addition, we developed algorithms which allows us to control the vibration very finely for each endpoint and create the illusion that the effect is continuous. Having more actuators would not “fill the gaps”, it would only increase the maximum power deliverable while making the vest heavier, bulkier and much more expensive. At the same time, the maximum output of the vest is considered uncomfortable by many users. In short, the number and disposition of the actuator is a good trade-off to produce powerful enough and continuously spread sensation across the torso while maintaining ergonomy and cost in affordable range.

The actuator inside are Voice Coil Motors which can render very precise vibrations. You can think of these as some kind of speakers but instead of making the air vibrate to generate sound for the ear, they are design to make the structure vibrates to generate "sound" for the skin, and a much lower frequencies. This technology allows us to compose haptic sensation for the skin just like one would compose music for the ear. Commonly called HD haptics, it is the next step of the vibrotactile technologies.

The vests that you have seen in the previous Kickstarter campaign were prototype versions. We have learned several things from that iteration and have created a lighter vest with wireless capabilities. We worked on several aspects: It is more powerful (through software and hardware improvements), wireless with bluetooth and wifi connectivity, we switched to an usb-C battery that can be remove easily and be used for other purposes, it is easier to put on, much more ergonomic and comfortable, and we developed the whole ecosystem needed to operate, reconfigure and produce content - Unitouch studio for effect creation and personalization - Skinetic SDK for in depth control of the haptic and plugins for the most popular game engine - Unitouch Hub to reconfigure, update and enable the audio to haptic to add haptic to your favorite content. CE/FCC certification. Furthermore, The market has changed a lot since then. Now, haptic (and HD haptic) is not a new word anymore, we don’t have to prove that it benefits immersion, it is admitted that it is the next step and that we are at the turning point.

Yes, the Skinetic vest comes in one size only and has 6x adjustment points: Two straps on the shoulders with a small and a wide position and 4 elastic cords, 2 on each side to tighten the vest around the abdominal area.

Yes, the vest can be power using any USB-C compatible powerbank or power as long as it can supply at least 65W. Notice that if the power is below 65W, the vest will turn off when effects are too strong. Be sure to use a real USB-C compatible powerbank or powersupply to not damage the vest.

Yes, we estimated that the battery can last at least 8 hours in normal usage. In reality, the vest is not actively generating vibration for 8 hours straight, so the actual duration depend on your usage and the intensity of the game you play.

Several people that have tried our demo say that they feel cooler when experiencing the rain effect. Nevertheless, this is just a visuo-haptic illusion. Skinetic does not render any sort of temperature effect, only HD vibrations.

No, Skinetic does not provide spatial tracking. However, it is fully compatible with any other tracking solution. If the VR system acknowledges the vest’s position and rotation in a virtual environment, it can apply the spatialization of the rendering at the exact location.

The firmware on the vest is designed to minimize the latency. It is mainly dependent on the quality of the communication. It is negligible when using USB but might be perceptible when using bluetooth or wifi if another piece of hardware is too slow (low quality BT dongle, wifi rooter with high latency, etc.)

No, there is no AI used in the actual haptic rendering, only maths and signal processing. However we did have an AI-based design tool to help create haptic pattern in the Unitouch Studio, it provide a first design that you can work from and refine to compose the haptic pattern of your liking (Coming soon).

The vest is compatible with any PC-based VR headset and any Android based standalone headset. As long as the application running provides some kind of support (native integration or mod), or the automatic Audio-to-Haptic conversionis used, the vest is considered compatible.

Yes, the SDKs we provide are compatible with Android. As long as the communication between the headset and the vest is not restricted by the headset manufacturer, the vest is compatible. However, there are no dedicated content for consumer at the moment. We tested our demos on Meta Quest 2, Pro and 3, Pico 4, HTC Focus 3, Magic Leap.

Yes, the SDK we provide are not restricted to VR application. As long as the game provide some kind of support (native intergration or mod), or the Audio-to-Haptic feature is used, you can use the vest for any kind of content.

Not yet, it is one of the next step to make our SDK compatible with these platforms and to become partner with these companies to have the right to provide our SDK.

The Audio-to-Haptics is a feature only available on Windows for now that listen to an audio output of your computer to automatically generate haptic on the vest.

It is not possible to test every game and provide an exhaustive list. However, we tested plenty of games which works well with the Audio-to-Haptics conversion. Sometimes it requires to tune the volume settings to make the relevant sound prevailing (ex: decrease background music and increase engine sounds in tank/plane/car games). We tested it for the following games: Ragnarock, MudRunner, BattleGroupVR, War Thunder, Rumble VR, Fortnite, Helldiver 2, Rocket League, Contractors VR, Contractors Showdown, A fisherman's Tail, Turbo golf racing, and even the very old 3D Pinball for Windows - Space Cadet and Doom 1.

Simhub is a tool which allows to bring compatibility to more than 70 games (mostly simulation games). We developed a plugin for that tool which convert the information obtained from the games into controls for the Skinetic vest.

Developers can easily integrate Skinetic's haptics in their game using our plugins for Unity and Unreal Engine. We also offer an SDK compiled in C/C++ or Java (for Android) with wrappers for C# and Python enabling seamless integration across various programming environments. In addition, we provide template for modding Unity games and several mod examples.

Yes, you will receive free firmware updates for your vest through the Skinetic Hub. This keeps your vest up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.

Yes, the vest can be easily opened and disassemble by hand to replace broken parts. The only except are the actuators modules which need to be firmly closed and sealed in order to not produce unwanted vibrations.

The main part of Skinetic vest includes haptic actuators and wires and cannot be washed in any circumstances. In case of contamination, gently wipe the contaminated area with a soft cloth. The mesh lining that’s attached to the vest with Velcro can be detached and washed.

Yes, we will supply parts to ease fixing the vest.