Emerge is partnering with XR Wellness company, TRIPP to offer tactile meditation and human connection in the metaverse. Emerge aims to develop products that will allow users to feel present despite physical distance.
“Our sense of touch is not only essential to feeling grounded in this reality, connected with our own emotions, but also to sharing emotions with our loved ones,” Emerge Co-founder and Co-CEO Sly Spencer commented in a press release. “Today, we are thrilled about partnering with the TRIPP team to pioneer the use of tactility in meditative practices within the metaverse.”
Tripp utilizes mindfulness in conjunction with interactive gameplay mechanics to enhance wellness and deepen “connection to self.”
The two companies plan to explore how touch can apply to the metaverse and how it can facilitate virtual meditation. In contrast, H2L is utilizing touch technology to create a wearable that lets users feel pain within the metaverse…
The Emerge Home System
Any applications Emerge and TRIPP collaborate on will be native to the Emerge Home System. Emerge’s flagship product consists of three parts. The Emerge Wave-1, the Emerge Home social virtual experience and a mobile app allcombine to bring physical touch to virtual worlds. The Emerge Wave-1 lets users use their bare hands as controllers and synthesizes touch by emitting ultrasonic waves.
“We’re on a mission to create a new paradigm of human connection within the metaverse,” says Co-founder and Co-CEO of Emerge, Isaac Castro. “Technology, as it exists today, is limited in the arena of emotional wellness. However, the integration of TRIPP’s mindfulness structures and Emerge’s tactility hold the potential to change the landscape of this arena in the future.”
Healthcare in the Metaverse
The metaverse continues to offer huge potential for healthcare even beyond the realm of mental health. Recently, Hekka Labs launched its new healthcare ecosystem. Likewise, XRHealth raised $10 million to expand its healthcare metaverse. Additionally, GOQii is partnering with Animoca Brands to gamify its health metaverse.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
