Diver-X ContactGlove

Diver-X ContactGlove
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Controllers
Subtype	Haptic glove, Finger tracking controller
Platform	SteamVR
Creator	Diver-X
Developer	Diver-X
Manufacturer	Diver-X
Announcement Date	December 20, 2022
Release Date	July 2023
Price	From approx. US$490 (pair, Kickstarter)
Website	https://diver-x.jp/en/
Versions	Standard, Pro (haptic)
Requires	SteamVR-compatible PC headset; SteamVR tracker(s) for positional tracking
Predecessor	None
Successor	ContactGlove2
System
Operating System	SteamVR
Chipset	N/A
CPU	N/A
GPU	N/A
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	Bend sensors plus IMU (finger tracking); positional tracking via external SteamVR trackers
Base Stations	Required for positional tracking (SteamVR Base Stations)
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	Yes (per-finger bend sensing)
Body Tracking	N/A
Rotational Tracking	Via attached SteamVR tracker
Positional Tracking	Via attached SteamVR tracker (not built in)
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	Wireless to PC
Ports	USB Type-C (charging)
Power	Rechargeable battery (hot-swappable)
Battery Life	Up to ~6-8 hours without haptics; ~2 hours with haptics
Charge Time	approx. 2.5 hours (USB Type-C)
Device
Material	Fabric glove
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	Yes (shape memory alloy coils with flexible membranes, fingertip pressure feedback)
Color	Black
Sensors	Bend sensors, IMU
Input	Finger tracking, gesture-mapped button and stick emulation
Compliance	SteamVR compatible

The Diver-X ContactGlove is a glove-type virtual reality controller developed by the Japanese hardware startup Diver-X. Announced on December 20, 2022 and funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2023, the ContactGlove combines per-finger hand tracking with haptic feedback, letting a user interact in SteamVR applications without holding a traditional controller. The device tracks finger movement with proprietary bend sensors and reproduces button and thumbstick inputs through configurable gestures, while its higher-end configuration adds tactile feedback to the fingertips using coils made from shape memory alloy. The ContactGlove drew comparisons to the Nintendo Power Glove for its hand-worn form factor, and it was named an honoree of the CES 2023 Innovation Awards. Diver-X began shipping the gloves to backers in July 2023 and later succeeded the product with the ContactGlove2.

Background

Diver-X Inc. is a VR and XR interface startup based in Japan, founded in 2021 by chief executive Yamato Sakoda and co-founder Kei Asano. The company first gained attention for the HalfDive, an ambitious lie-down VR headset that ran a Kickstarter campaign in January 2022. The HalfDive project was ultimately cancelled, with Diver-X describing it as too niche a product to manufacture and deliver at small scale. The ContactGlove was the company's second crowdfunded hardware project and its first to reach mass production.

Crowdfunding and release

Diver-X launched the ContactGlove on Kickstarter on December 20, 2022, with a funding goal of 26 million yen (roughly US$200,000). The campaign passed its goal well before its deadline and closed successfully in January 2023, having raised tens of millions of yen in pledges. The product was shown to the public at CES 2023 in Las Vegas, where it was recognized as a CES 2023 Innovation Awards honoree.

Pledge tiers were offered at several price points reflecting the different configurations of the glove. Entry-level pairs without the haptic membrane started at about 65,000 yen (around US$490); bundles that added Tundra Trackers or the haptic-capable membrane cost more, with the fully haptic version listed near 115,000 yen (about US$870). The base pair was frequently cited at roughly US$420 to US$500. Diver-X estimated delivery for July 2023 and began shipping units to backers around that time.

Detail	Specification
Announcement	December 20, 2022
Crowdfunding	Kickstarter (goal 26 million yen, approx. US$200,000)
Shipping to backers	July 2023
Starting price	From approx. 65,000 yen (about US$490) per pair
Configurations	Standard (tracking only) and Pro (with haptic membrane)
Platform	SteamVR

Design and hardware

The ContactGlove is a fabric glove worn on each hand. Rather than building positional tracking into the glove itself, Diver-X designed it to mount an external SteamVR tracker, so position and orientation in space are provided by devices such as the Vive Tracker or the Tundra Tracker working with SteamVR base stations. Finger movement is captured locally on the glove using a proprietary bend sensor array together with an inertial measurement unit, allowing the system to read how the user's fingers curl. The device connects wirelessly to the PC and is powered by a rechargeable, hot-swappable battery that charges over USB Type-C in about 2.5 hours. Diver-X quoted battery life of several hours with haptics disabled and roughly two hours with haptic feedback active.

A key part of the design is the input model. Because the glove tracks the hand directly, button and thumbstick actions are emulated through gestures that the user maps with Diver-X's configuration and calibration software, so common controller inputs can be triggered without ever picking up a physical controller. The gloves were also offered alongside the Magnetra, an optional exoskeleton-style hand controller module from Diver-X intended to add physical input controls.

Haptic feedback

The defining feature of the higher-end ContactGlove is its haptic system. Where most haptic gloves on the market use vibration motors to suggest the sense of touch, Diver-X used micro coils made from shape memory alloy paired with flexible membranes that contract and expand to press against the ball of each finger. The goal was to deliver a pressure-based sensation closer to the feeling of touching or grasping a real object than vibration alone can provide. This haptic capability was the main distinction between the Standard and Pro configurations; Diver-X indicated that a Standard set could be brought up to Pro-level performance by adding the separate sensor and haptic module.

Software and compatibility

The ContactGlove works with SteamVR-compatible PC headsets and content, including HTC Vive hardware, and integrates with the broader SteamVR ecosystem rather than functioning as a standalone device. Diver-X provided a software development kit so that developers could build support into their own applications, with tooling aimed at engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine. Social VR platforms such as VRChat were among the use cases highlighted for the gloves, where natural finger tracking supports gestures and hand expression.

Reception

The ContactGlove attracted coverage from VR-focused and mainstream technology outlets when it launched. Road to VR reported on the Kickstarter campaign and the company's pivot from the cancelled HalfDive headset. TechCrunch covered the device from CES 2023, likening it to a Power Glove for modern VR and noting its combination of finger tracking and haptics at a price of just under US$500 for the pair. A glove that delivers pressure-based touch rather than vibration was also highlighted by outlets including ShowStoppers, which described the device as a haptic glove VR controller.

Successor

Diver-X followed the original ContactGlove with the ContactGlove2, a revised model that tracks the joints of each finger more precisely and adds refinements to the haptics and hand tracking. Reported specifications for the second-generation gloves include a 1,400 mAh battery rated for up to about 8.5 hours per charge with a roughly three-hour recharge over USB Type-C. The ContactGlove2 was offered for preorder at around US$512, or about US$527 in a bundle that includes the Magnetra2 controller, with shipping expected from late 2024.

See also

• Diver-X
• SteamVR
• Vive Tracker
• Tundra Tracker
• Haptic
• VRChat