JetController: High-speed Ungrounded 3-DoF Force Feedback Controllers using Air Propulsion Jets

JetController is a novel high-speed, persistent 3-DoF ungrounded force feedback controller. It uses high-speed pneumatic solenoid valves to modulate compressed air to achieve full impulses of 50Hz at 1.0N (20Hz at 4.0N), and combines multiple air propulsion jets to generate 3-DoF ungrounded force feedback. Compared to propeller-based approaches, JetController supports 10-30 times faster impulse frequency, and its handheld device is significantly lighter and more compact. JetController enables a wide range of haptic events in games and VR experiences, from firing automatic weapons in games like Halo (15Hz) to slicing fruits in Fruit Ninja in 3-DoF (up to 45Hz). To demonstrate JetController, we integrated our prototype with two best-selling VR games, Half-life: Alyx and Fruit Ninja VR, to highlight a variety of 3-DoF interactions that were not possible before.