Feel the Movies (Like When Jackie Chan Kicks You in the Chest)

The movies aren’t usually considered a sensory experience, despite several historical attempts at scented cinema dating back to 1916. But soon you may be able to actually feel what’s going on in the movies – perhaps a Michael Bay explosion or an Angelina Jolie drop kick…or even better, to experience a real emotional reaction based not just on what you’re seeing in a movie, but on on actual physical stimulus.

Researchers at Phillips Electronics just debuted a jacket lined with 64 vibration motors at the 2009 World Haptics Conference. As described by Paul Lemmens, a Philips senior scientist, the jacket is intended not to simulate physical blows, but to produce “emotional immersion,” such as shivers up the spine, tensing of the muscles, etc.

[via Hot Hardware]