Why India needs haptic gloves

Indian companies like AjnaLens and Simulanis are already ahead of the curve when it comes to the use of boundary-pushing technology. So much so that they’ve begun to help miners and people who work at refineries. 

The gloves sold by these companies aren’t dissimilar to those announced in November last year by Meta’s Reality Labs. The gloves work based off a computer programme that understand and mimic a user’s gestures while also simulating sensations like texture, pressure and even vibration. Meta hasn’t announced a roll-out date.

A unit of Vedanta Ltd which works in mining, Hindustan Zinc Ltd has begun training its miners using the AjnaSparsh, developed by AjnaLens, which is a Mumbai-based virtual reality company, according to a report by Mint. 

Since miners at Hindustan Zinc must operate heavy mining rigs, the gloves help miners develop the skills required to operate the large machines, Abhishek Tomar, the Chief Technology Officer, told Mint. 

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The use of VR is slowly becoming more and more prevalent in industries like mining, manufacturing and automobile construction. Industry executives say that the technology is being used to improve the learning process of works on handling machines. 

A spokesperson from Vedanta said in a statement that the training in the “digital space” helps workers navigate real-life challenges and that the method is both “safe and cost-effective.”

Simulanis, a Noida-based VR startup, developed a set of VR gloves called Reflexis which is being used by companies like HPCL and Mahindra. These gloves are being used by the two companies for training as well as repair and maintenance at their pipelines and refineries. 

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According to Raman Talwar, the founder and director of Simulanis, the healthcare and the training sector is also coming around as demand increases from their side. The only downside to the technology is that it’s cost-prohibitive Simulanis offers their gloves at a rate between Rs 75,000 to Rs 100,000, but it works with VR platforms like Meta’s Oculus.