Hindsight · review build · data not yet validated

Haptics still limited

Ray Kurzweil, Books and essays, 1999, published 1999-01

The visual and auditory experience of virtual reality is compelling, but tactile interaction is still limited.

Verdict

hitThe two blind graders disagreed (A: partial, B: hit). A third agent settled it (D20).

Grader A: partial

Tactile interaction was indeed limited. But virtual reality itself was not a compelling consumer experience in 2009; affordable, realistic headsets arrived with the Oculus development kits (2013) and consumer Rift (2016). The haptics half was true; the 'compelling VR' half was true only from 2013-2014 in developer kits.

Test: Compelling VR availability: developer kits 2013-2014 (in the 2012-2014 window); consumer VR 2016.

Oculus Rift (Wikipedia) (2026-09-28): Rift described as first headset with realistic experience at accessible price; DK1 2013, DK2 2014, CV1 2016.

Grader B: hit

Tactile interaction in consumer virtual environments was limited to controller rumble and force-feedback joysticks and wheels in 2009. Rich haptics for VR came mostly after 2013. The visual and auditory part was compelling in games of the period. The claim is a statement of limitation, and it holds.

Test: Test: tactile VR interaction remains limited in 2009. Consumer haptics: rumble motors (ERM) and basic force feedback only.

Haptic technology (Wikipedia) (accessed 2026-09): Around 2009 consumer haptics were controller rumble and force feedback (ERM actuators); advanced VR haptics mostly from 2013 on.

All captured fields

rank: 125
kind: decade_prediction
section: The Arts
subject: Haptics still limited
target year: 2009
timing: in
position: Chapter 9, "2009"; item The Arts 20 in Kurzweil 2010, p. 100
confidence: high
note: Wording as reproduced by the author in "How My Predictions Are Faring" (2010); book page not given there. Subject label is the essay's own item heading.