Virtual Reality, Now With the Sense of Touch

The future depicted in the new film ‘Ready Player One’ is closer than you think: Startups are developing haptic gloves and suits that let users feel virtual worlds.

It was a starry night on the cartoonish virtual-reality farm I was exploring with help from HTC Corp.’s Vive headset. Suddenly a tiny fox emerged from behind the barn and leapt onto my hand. I was surprised by the animal’s realistic appearance—and also by the sensation of its tiny paws as they walked a circle in my palm. In addition to the headset, I wore a bulky black glove from HaptX Inc., a six-year-old startup. Thick wires arched over the fingers and controlled the airflow to more than 100 inflatable pockets embedded in the glove’s mesh lining, which created sensations of touch and even texture on my skin. After a...

Next Big Thing in Agriculture: Smart Collars for Cows

The fences that crisscross the vast ranches of the U.S. and Australian Outback seem like an unlikely candidate for tech disruption. But several startups are betting that high-tech collars for cattle, goats and other livestock could render them obsolete.

Can Science Make Alcohol Safer?

The scion of an Indian pharmaceutical giant spent $35 million to make your martini more liver-friendly. But regulators aren’t raising their glasses just yet.