Reconfigurable Virtual Reality Interaction Interface Based on Encoded Mechanical Array.

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) interaction interface plays a critical role in bridging biomechanical signatures between physical world and cyberspace. However, existing stretchable strain sensors for VR gesture recognition face an inherent trade-off between sensitivity and operating range, thereby significantly limiting their applicability across diverse metaverse scenarios. Here, we present a dynamic reconfiguration strategy based on an encoded mechanical array (EMA) to enable in-field and programmable tuning of sensitivity and operating range for stretchable strain sensors in VR applications. The interlocked liquid metal units in EMA, which are inspired by mortise-and-tenon design, achieve reversible fracture-healing cycles under external magnetic fields and mechanical stimuli, enabling programmable localized strain tunability (up to 71%) in EMA with binary coding. With the integration of EMA, the stretchable strain sensor is capable of switching between multiple operational modes across high-precision detection (∼610% sensitivity enhancement) and wide-range monitoring (∼220% range extension). By implementing the EMA-based stretchable strain sensor array in the creation of a reconfigurable VR interaction interface, we achieve scenario-adaptive hand motion tracking in a VR medical training platform for orthopedic and neurosurgical surgery simulations.