With the rise of AR/VR headsets, immersing ourselves in other worlds has become a daily routine, allowing us to see and explore new realities with our eyes. But what if we told you that you can now not only see but also feel these virtual environments? Imagine you can now feel the gentle pressure of a handshake, the firmness of a doorknob as you turn it, or the softness of fabric brushing against your skin – all this has become a reality with HaptX gloves.
Our hero today, Jake Rubin, is the genius behind this groundbreaking technology, a visionary who has redefined what it means to interact with the digital world. In this article, we’ll dive into Jake Rubin’s journey, exploring his life path and the story behind his successful company, HaptX – what has made it thrive and the challenges it has overcome.
Jake’s early life and visionary beginnings
Jake Rubin was born and raised on Mercer Island, a small community near Seattle, Washington. From a young age, he was fascinated by the idea of human-computer interaction and what it could mean for the future. While most children were happy playing video games, Jake Rubin was more interested in understanding their mechanics, imagining ways technology could bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds.
Driven by his passion for technology, he embarked on his first professional endeavor. In 2009 – 2010, during his gap year from college, Jake Rubin was working as an Analyst Programmer at Free & Clear in the Greater Seattle Area. There, he developed statistical models of business processes using data mining, machine learning, and statistical analysis tools. This experience further honed his technical skills and deepened his understanding of leveraging technology to solve complex problems.
Later, Rubin’s passion for innovation carried him to Washington University in St. Louis, where he attended on an Entrepreneurial Scholarship. However, after just one semester, he decided to leave college to fully pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions, launching his first venture, Krmit.
Jake’s first venture – Krmit
Krmit was a digital advertising platform that Jake founded in 2010, just before starting college. It focused on giving users more control over their online ad experience. The platform aimed to make advertisements more relevant and personalized by allowing users to choose which ads they viewed. This, in turn, was expected to increase user engagement and benefit advertisers by improving the effectiveness of their campaigns.
Jake’s early experiences, including setbacks, were powerful teachers, offering lessons that were even more valuable than his successes. So after Krmit failed, Jake Rubin not only didn’t give up on his love of technology and entrepreneurship but also applied his hard-earned knowledge to his next venture, AxonVR, which would eventually evolve into HaptX.
The birth of HaptX
Jake Rubin had a clear understanding that virtual reality had the potential to transform industries ranging from entertainment to training and design. However, he also understood that achieving this required more than just immersive visuals and sound; it necessitated touch, the most fundamental sense for creating a genuine connection between humans and the digital world. Thus, his dream (and plan) was to create a reality where virtual objects could be felt as if they were real, with advanced haptic technology simulating texture, weight, and resistance.
This is how HaptX was founded. Yet he knew that vision alone wouldn’t be enough to make the company successful. He needed to build a team, secure funding, and, most importantly, develop a technology that could deliver on the promise of true immersion – it was a lot of work ahead!
Innovating touch: the revolutionary HaptX gloves
Jake’s first key partnership was with Dr. Bob Crockett, a professor and expert in microfluidic technology. Together, they began to develop the core of HaptX’s innovation: a revolutionary microfluidic textile that could simulate realistic touch sensations across the human’s skin. This technology became the foundation for HaptX’s flagship product: the HaptX Glove.
With the HaptX Glove, the company brought to market a tool that could replicate the sense of touch with unprecedented precision. It wasn’t just a glove; it was a gateway to new possibilities in industries like robotics, virtual reality, and industrial design. Imagine an automotive engineer being able to feel the materials and shapes of a car they were designing in VR, or a surgeon practicing delicate procedures with a lifelike sense of the instruments and tissues, all in a virtual environment.
The market responded enthusiastically. The HaptX Glove provided businesses with a new way to train employees, prototype products, and create immersive experiences that were once impossible. Here are some of the use cases:
HaptiX’s use cases
HaptX gloves can be used and are actively used in a variety of high-impact fields. In workforce training, they help both current and future workers develop critical hands-on skills, particularly in industrial settings where precise manipulation is essential. The gloves are also key in medical training and telemedicine, giving professionals an opportunity to practice and perform delicate procedures with lifelike feedback. In defense and national security, HaptX gloves are used for mission-critical training, such as vehicle maintenance and soldier training, where realistic haptic feedback is vital.
Additionally, they play a significant role in the development of humanoid robotics, providing the detailed data needed to train AI systems in robotic manipulation. Industrial applications, such as locomotive maintenance and hazardous material handling, also benefit from the gloves’ ability to simulate complex interactions with objects, ensuring safe and effective operation in challenging environments.
HaptX’s latest version, Gloves G1
In 2023, HaptX released the HaptX Gloves G1, marking a significant evolution in haptic glove technology. The Gloves G1 focuses on high-fidelity tactile feedback for industrial and enterprise applications. They use HaptX’s microfluidic smart textile technology to provide hundreds of points of tactile feedback across the hands.
Unlike earlier versions, the G1 is a durable, full-scale commercial product with an ergonomic design and a wireless Airpack for untethered movement. Available in four sizes, the gloves are ideal for tasks requiring precise hand movements, such as workforce training and advanced robotics, including telemanipulation and AI training. By offering a scalable and commercially viable haptic solution, HaptX aims to set a new standard in the VR and robotics industries.
Navigating challenges: the Meta dispute and beyond
Like every CEO and inventor, Jake Rubin encountered numerous challenges on his path to success. One of the significant challenges Jake Rubin faced as the CEO of HaptX was a high-profile dispute with Meta over haptic glove technology. In late 2021, HaptX alleged Meta of developing a haptic glove prototype that was “substantively identical” to HaptX’s patented technology, particularly in its use of silicone-based microfluidic tactile feedback and pneumatic control architecture. Jake Rubin chose not to engage in a dispute, but he didn’t shy away from the issue either. He voiced his honest opinion in defense of his company while also emphasizing the importance of fair play.
Jake Rubin highlighted that over the last decade, HaptX has led the way in microfluidic haptic feedback, gaining recognition in popular and tech media. His dedicated team has built an industry-leading patent portfolio and showcased their groundbreaking technology to Meta engineers, researchers, and executives. Here is a small part of his speech on this matter:
“Today, Meta announced their own prototype microfluidic haptic feedback glove. The core components of this prototype, including the silicone-based microfluidic tactile feedback laminate and pneumatic control architecture, appear to be substantively identical to HaptX’s patented technology. We welcome interest and competition in the field of microfluidic haptics; however, competition must be fair for the industry to thrive.”
Rubin navigated this complex situation with a focus on collaboration and fairness. Rather than immediately resorting to litigation, he publicly welcomed interest in microfluidic haptics while stressing the need for equitable arrangements that respect innovators’ intellectual property. This approach underscores Rubin’s commitment to maintaining ethical standards in the industry while continuing to push the boundaries of what haptic technology can achieve.
The other challenge Rubin faces is the high barrier to market adoption. Potential customers must physically experience the product before committing, which complicates and lengthens the sales process. The technology’s higher price point requires buy-in from multiple decision-makers, further slowing adoption.
“Our biggest challenge has always been getting enough units into customers’ hands quickly, especially given the high price point, as it’s crucial for multiple key decision-makers to personally try the product before committing to a purchase.” shares Jake Rubin at one of the podcasts.
Additionally, while their gloves offer advanced hand haptic feedback, there’s a growing demand for full-body feedback, which current products cannot fully deliver. This technological limitation is compounded by the need to balance innovation with practicality, as efforts to miniaturize and reduce costs are seen as incremental rather than transformative improvements.
Nevertheless, Jake Rubin, with his extensive experience and excellent approach, skillfully handles any challenge that comes his way.
The future of HaptX: Rubin’s vision for tomorrow
Looking ahead, Jake Rubin’s vision for HaptX is to advance virtual reality by creating fully immersive experiences that go beyond hand-mounted systems to encompass the entire body. He envisions a future where users can interact with virtual environments in a highly natural and seamless manner, experiencing realistic tactile and force feedback that makes the virtual world feel genuinely real.
While HaptX is currently focusing on high-fidelity solutions for industrial applications, such as workforce training and robotics, Rubin foresees a broader consumer market in the long term. His goal is to initially target location-based entertainment venues and eventually develop technologies that are affordable and accessible for individual consumers.
Jake Rubin believes that the ultimate objective is to create a fully transparent, immersive interface where the technology fades into the background, allowing users to engage with virtual experiences as if they were physically present in another world.
