Impulse Engine

The Impulse Engine 3000 was a force-feedback haptic device manufactured by Immersion Corporation in the 1990s, used for research into haptic interfaces and virtual reality. The device featured a probe that users manipulated in three degrees of freedom (forward/backward, up/down, left/right), with three motors providing force resistance of up to 8 Newtons (approximately 2 pounds). It could simulate virtual textures, 3D objects, and surfaces that users explored through probe contact. The Impulse Engine was significant in early accessibility research for investigating how blind users could access virtual environments through touch.