Mark Zuckerberg Tests VR Gloves For Typing On Virtual Keyboard

Mechanical keyboards are so last decade. With virtual reality rising hot right now, it only makes sense to give users an option to type on a virtual keyboard. This is exactly what Oculus is planning and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg recently tested out VR gloves that will allow virtual typing.

Informally known as an “Oculus glove” for the moment, Zuckerberg posted photos of him wearing the peripheral and describing exactly what he was able to do with it, The Verge reports. The photos were taken and the tests were done in the Redmond, Washington research lab of Oculus. There, Michael Abrash leads a team of scientists in the development of technology and next generation hardware for the company.

In a Facebook post, Zuckerberg described what the lab and the scientists working there are trying to do. He also shared details on how he was able to type on a virtual keyboard while wearing the gloves, draw, and even shoot virtual web similar to what Spider-Man can do.

“The goal is to make VR and AR what we all want it to be: glasses small enough to take anywhere, software that lets you experience anything, and technology that lets you interact with the virtual world just like you do with the physical one,” the post reads.

TechCrunch also received some additional details from Oculus about the gloves upon request. It would seem that the gloves, or the prototype, at least, is slim and forms accordingly when worn. In addition, it looks like OptiTrack Prime 17W cameras are used on the rig in order to keep accurate tracking of the gloves as they were used. If it works just as well, this will save Oculus a lot of money on testing.

As to what this means for VR enthusiasts, the simple answer is that it will likely provide more options when it comes to the things that can be done in the virtual world. Being the first to offer a market-ready VR glove is certainly going to put Oculus on the advantage.