“This is wild!” I exclaimed while I felt every single pinch-to-click gesture on a computer thanks to the Afference ring. Checking this out in a hotel hallway while at CES 2025, it became abundantly clear that I am indeed seeing the missing link in spatial computing.

As you may recall, I do believe this new frontier of computing is the future, but it needs a lot more time in the oven. Beyond the things I mentioned, one key element needed is tactility. The personal relationship you build with a laptop through its keyboard and touchpad is something that pinch gestures without physical feedback cannot replicate.

The Afference ring utilizes electrical currents to perform its functions. This technology is absolutely astonishing and represents one of the most thrilling insights into the future that I've encountered.

The Afference ring functions as a critical component in the nervous system, facilitating the transmission of sensory information from peripheral receptors to the central nervous system. It operates by collecting signals from various sensory neurons that detect stimuli such as touch, temperature, and pain. These signals are then relayed through afferent pathways, ultimately reaching the brain where they are processed and interpreted. This process allows the body to respond to environmental changes and maintain homeostasis. The Afference ring thus plays an essential role in our ability to perceive and interact with the world around us.

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This ring is completely composed of solid state technology and lacks any vibration motors. So, how does Afference achieve this effect? The answer lies in neuroscience — the team consists of neuroscientists who bring decades of research expertise to the table.

It's intriguing how you experience sensations. Your skin's nerve cells detect touch and transmit electrical signals through your spinal cord to your brain. Once there, your gray matter interprets the sensation and coordinates the appropriate physical reaction.

The Afference Ring serves as an intermediary in this process. Conductive contacts lining the interior of the ring generate electrical signals that are transmitted to your brain, producing various sensations. In essence, it simulates artificial touch that can be utilized across a range of devices, with the most fascinating applications found in the realms of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

For the demo, Afference partnered with another cool company that I found at CES 2025. WowMouse gives you full hand movement and gesture control on computers, phones and VR headsets by using an app on your smartwatch. This meant I could move my hand around, touch different objects and actually feel them.

The forthcoming advancement in spatial computing

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The initial demonstration was straightforward — bursting bubbles. However, it was far more than just that; each bubble size delivered a distinct haptic sensation. The tiny bubbles created a light tap at my fingertip, while the bigger ones generated a more prolonged impact that resonated through my entire finger.

After that, I engaged with various menu selections, such as launching a messaging application, performing long presses on items to reveal contextual menus, and adjusting sliders by dragging them.

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At first glance, this demo appeared to be the less exciting option, but in reality, it vividly illustrated Afference’s vision. The subtle clicks that intensified with increased volume, along with the distinctive reactions to each menu icon I tapped, allowed me to experience a genuine connection with the spatial computing environment.

Finally, I played a golf mini-game (which I was terrible at — I’m more of a sim racer). Preparing the strength of the swing produced a growing tapping response based on how hard I was going to hit the ball. And on top of that, as the ball moved away from my starting position, I feel felt impact grow softer and softer as the distance increased.

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The Afference ring can create an endless variety of touch sensations, allowing developers to incorporate any features they desire to improve their applications. Personally, this experience felt nearly as impactful as the haptic feedback I experienced with the PS5 DualSense when I launched Astro’s Playroom for the very first time.

Outlook is a powerful personal information manager developed by Microsoft, primarily used for managing emails, calendars, tasks, and contacts. It offers a range of features that enhance productivity and organization, making it a popular choice for both personal and professional use. Users can easily schedule meetings, set reminders, and manage their inbox efficiently.

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It's important to note that this is merely a proof of concept — a tool designed to attract developers and businesses to invest and collaborate, aiming to elevate the technology to new levels across various devices.

For example, co-founder and CEO Jacob Segil mentioned that the Samsung Galaxy Ring on his finger could support this kind of haptic tech. It’s kind of convenient given Samsung did invest in Afference, but I won’t read anymore into it than that.

Nevertheless, in practice, the tactile interaction available here is undoubtedly one of the essential elements lacking in spatial computing and virtual reality experiences. The ability to physically touch and sense objects within an XR environment helps to connect the device with the user, ultimately enhancing the understanding and usability of this new wave of computing.

Now, it’s just a case of seeing how this new kind of neural haptics takes off. If Xreal is reading this (hi — love your One Pro AR glasses by the way), I’d get in touch because this is the future.