The Novint Falcon: A 3D haptic controller 6 Aug 2008

One of the most interesting aspects of Adaptive Path's Aurora is the controller that Jill's uses in part one of the video. Unlike many of the other concepts showcased, this device is actually real: It's called the Novint Falcon, and it's a 3D haptic controller. What does that mean? Well, not only does it allow the user to move in three dimensions, it also simulates forces and textures.

It works like so: You grasp the controller - the small sphere sitting on the end of the three arms - and push it around to move the cursor in three dimensional space; while the three arms provide resistance against whatever you bump up against in the virtual environment.

The Falcon was originally designed to be used to control medical, oil and vehicle-manufacturing applications, but has recently been adopted by video gamers. Could this be the device that finally brings 3D to the desktop and slays the mouse?