This LA-Based Startup Has a Plan to Bring Physical Sensations to Virtual Worlds
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.
![Wave-1 device, a tabletop device about the size of a 13-inch laptop that lets users “feel" the Metaverse.](https://dot.la/media-library/wave-1-device-a-tabletop-device-about-the-size-of-a-13-inch-laptop-that-lets-users-feel-the-metaverse.jpg?id=29189713&width=2000&height=1500&quality=85&coordinates=114%2C0%2C114%2C0)
The Emerge Home system lets users interact with a virtual world and feel feedback with their bare hands—an alternative to the clunky controllers or gloves that typically accompany virtual reality experiences. It includes the Emerge Wave-1, a tabletop device about the size of a 13-inch laptop that works by emitting “sculpted ultrasonic waves that allow users to feel and interact via touch in the virtual world,” the company said in a press release Friday.
Emerge said it closed $13 million in new funding to finance the product’s launch, bringing the company’s total amount raised to $31 million. New investors backing the project include Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill, Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin, metaverse advocate Matthew Ball, inventor Kurt Petersen and patent firm Schox. Existing investors include M13 and Vulcan Capital.
Emerge will publicly launch the Wave-1 alongside a companion VR headset and mobile app via a Kickstarter campaign next month. The entire package will retail for $499.
Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.