GIST’s Professor Seungjun Kim and his research team developed ‘EarPressure VR’ technology
Applications in professional fields like disaster rescue and diving training as well as everyday content.
(From left) GIST Professor Seungjun Kim, Doctoral students Sungjun Kang, Gwangbin Kim, and Master’s students Bochan Kim, Jeongju Park, Saemwoo Shin (Provided by GIST, resale and DB prohibited)/News1,
, “Gwangju, News1, Reporter Youngseok Cho = A domestic research team has developed an innovative haptic system that precisely controls inner ear pressure, allowing virtual reality (VR) users to realistically experience changes in atmospheric pressure. This is the first time in the world that the sensation of ear pressure changes has been simulated in VR experiences.”,
, “The Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) announced on the 13th that the research team led by Professor Seungjun Kim from the Department of AI Convergence had developed a new technology called ‘EarPressure VR’ that replicates the realistic sensation of environmental pressure changes such as ear pressure felt during altitude change or submersion.”,
, “This technology safely replicates the sensation of ear pressure felt in situations like altitude change or submersion within a VR environment, offering a new sensory interface that elevates the current visually and auditorily focused VR experiences.”,
, “Until now, realistically simulating pressure changes in VR had significant technical constraints because it required controlling the pressure of an entire space. The research team solved this problem by applying ‘tympanometry’ technology, which is used in clinical settings to examine pressures in the eardrum and middle ear.”,
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‘EarPressure VR’ system overview. It’s a wearable haptic feedback device that allows users to directly experience the sensation of ear pressure during underwater descent or altitude ascent. (Provided by GIST, resale and DB prohibited)/News1,
, “EarPressure VR monitors the ear’s internal state in real-time with pressure sensors and uses an embedded motor and medical syringe to recreate pressure changes within a ±40 hPa range in just 0.57 seconds. This rate is similar to the sensation felt during a rapid descent.”,
, “EarPressure VR is designed for lightweight wearability, allowing it to simulate pressure changes without large equipment. There are various application possibilities including △remote surgery, disaster rescue, diving training in professional fields, △virtual high-altitude experiences in fitness applications, and △creating a powerful bass pressure sensation in music listening.”,
, “Professor Seungjun Kim stated, ‘This is an innovative technology that allows direct experience of environmental pressure changes, which were previously difficult to simulate, by controlling ear internal pressure,’ and emphasized that it will fundamentally change user experiences in future technologies such as VR, AR, remote work, and training simulations.”,
, “The research results led by Professor Seungjun Kim, with contributions from researchers Sungjun Kang, Gwangbin Kim, Bochan Kim, Jeongju Park, and Saemwoo Shin, were presented at ‘ACM UIST 2025’, one of the world’s top academic conferences in the field of user interface and interaction technology, receiving significant interest.”,
, “Negotiations regarding the technology transfer of these research results can be conducted through the technology commercialization center.”\n