Recaro’s New Sim Racing Seat Turns Sound Into Vibration With Haptic Feedback
Metahaptics allow 14 actuators to translate even the smallest driving details.
Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show inches closer and closer to becoming a sort of tech-forward auto show. Several automakers now use CES to showcase their latest and greatest in-car technologies, as well as autonomous driving prototypes. Even OEM suppliers are showing up now, such as Recaro this year, who showing off its new haptic feedback sim racing seat technology.
It's called the Recaro FeelTech+ and it's a set of seat insert pads that work with several different Recaro seats. It uses what Recaro calls Metahaptics, which is said to translate the full 20.000-hertz spectrum of sound into vibrations via 14 actuators in the seat padding. For example, if you run over curbing on a race track, the game's sounds will translate to vibrations in the seats to make it feel as if you're actually running over the curb. It can be used for Esports, racing sims, or even just casual video games, to make the experience feel more realistic. According to Recaro, it can even help with motion sickness, as it brings the experience closer to reality.
The seats that can work with FeelTech+ are the Recaro Pro Sim Star, Recaro Profi SPG/SPG XL, the Recaro Pole Position, and the Recaro Sport C with haptics.
Sim racing has been getting incredibly realistic in recent years, so much so that pro racing drivers are relying on racing simulators to practice, learn new tracks, new car setups, and fine-tune their skills. Of course, most pro racers typically use rigs that are far more advanced than what you and I can get our paws on, though tech like these FeelTech+ pads can improve the experience of sim racing at home.
Recaro did not release pricing for the Pro Sim Star 24H Le Mans Edition with FeelTech+ Pad kit, but considering the seat itself without any actuators or extra goodies runs about $1,000, don't expect to be any cheaper than that.
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