Afference, a company specializing in neural interface technology, has raised $1.5 million in funding to further develop its new platform called Phantom. The Phantom is a handheld wearable device that allows users to “feel” tactile sensations in virtual reality environments by using electrical signals to communicate with the user’s brain. The funding, led by Konvoy, will be used to enhance the Phantom platform and make digital interactions as seamless as physical interactions in the Spatial Computing age.
The Phantom is a unique haptic device that wraps around the user’s fingers and wrist. Unlike traditional pressure-based haptic devices, it uses electrical signals to stimulate the skin and create the sensation of touch. It can be connected to virtual and mixed reality devices via Bluetooth, making it compatible with any Spatial Computing platform. Afference CEO Jacob Segil emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in the way we interact with digital content, and the Phantom aims to provide a compelling haptic feedback experience for users in virtual reality.
Konvoy, the leading investor in this funding round, highlights the importance of haptic feedback in the promise of Spatial Computing. They believe that Afference, with their expertise in neural stimulation, has built the best method for delivering artificial sensation in the Spatial Computing age. Afference plans to launch development kits of the Phantom in early 2024, allowing developers to explore the possibilities of this new haptic technology in virtual reality experiences.