[SeoulTech x IT Donga Joint Planning] Seoul National University of Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as SeoulTech) operates various support programs to aid the growth of startups, including preliminary and early-stage startup packages, maker spaces, and global collaborations. Furthermore, in partnership with IT Donga, it provides global news to assist startups in international promotion and expansion, introducing promising deep-tech startups both domestically and internationally.

Extended Reality (XR), encompassing Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), has garnered industry attention alongside the term Metaverse. However, according to market research firm Counterpoint Research, the global Metaverse market in 2024 decreased by 12% compared to 2023. Despite the release of the latest XR devices such as Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3, it was insufficient to expand the overall market.

One reason for the difficulty in expanding the XR market is the limitation of experience. The core of experience in the virtual world is immersion. In the virtual world, one must physically feel various sensations, such as picking up objects or raindrops falling on the skin. The problem is that while the completeness of headsets (HMD, Head-Mounted Display) satisfying visual and auditory senses is excellent, the development of haptic, the final puzzle for completing immersion, is slow.



Elysian is a hardware startup that has set out to innovate the haptic technology of VR devices. Instead of creating peripheral devices tailored to the virtual technology ecosystem, it plans to explore the direction of technology through innovation in human interfaces (experiential equipment). What is the direction Elysian pursues to improve experiences in the virtual world? An interview was conducted with Jun Jeong, CEO of Elysian.

Desire to Overcome the Limitations of Virtual World Experience

“I felt a gap between the VR technology I encountered in the media and reality. I was frustrated about when experiences like those in the movie Ready Player One would be possible. I thought the cause was the stagnation of hardware technology. While headsets that help see flat surfaces in three dimensions have advanced, I saw the innovation in the tactile part as stagnant. Haptic technology is only at the level of phone vibrations. The thought of innovating VR experiences led to the establishment of Elysian.”

CEO Jun Jeong's entrepreneurship began with frustration over the minimal change in the VR device market. Having been involved in robot development, he questioned the control methods of the latest VR devices, which were no different from years ago. Although they provide clear visuals and sound, the control is still centered on controllers. The sensory part is also limited to weak vibrations transmitted by the controller.

CEO Jun Jeong believes that the slow development of the XR market is due to the diminished experience resulting from controller manipulation. Although Valve introduced the Index Controller to recognize the movement of five fingers, it was far from being popularized.

Elysian is focusing on developing hardware that innovates virtual world experiences. There are two directions. The first is a controller that can be immediately linked with content. The flagship product is a gun controller for VR. While gun-type controllers are common, the differentiating factor is the enhanced completeness of details such as manipulation and weight to closely resemble real experiences.

“Military enthusiasts show interest the more detailed the gun structure is implemented. Although VR gun controllers exist in the market, most only mimic shooting. Elysian has meticulously crafted it to load heavily and manipulate the selector like a real gun. We believe it helps reduce the gap between the controller and in-game experience.”



Elysian emphasizes the necessity of developing human interfaces that connect the virtual world and people. This is why they are focusing on developing a full-body haptic suit that can interact with VR. The goal is to implement a tactile display that allows one to feel various sensations such as temperature, texture, and fluid, not just vibrations. Currently, CEO Jun Jeong is developing a prototype of a glove-type VR controller. It uses force feedback technology, which finely transmits resistance using wires and motors.

The glove-type controller can be expanded to fields such as XR, robotics, and humanoids. At the point when tele-operation (remote control) becomes active, recognizing movements with force feedback reduces error rates. The key is data learning. While tactile sensors applied to robotic hands are implemented, tactile-action data is needed for learning. CEO Jun Jeong explains that the glove-type VR controller, which incorporates tactile display technology, will become essential equipment for collecting tactile-action data in the future.

Balancing Between Future Value and Current Market is a Challenge

When asked what is needed for growth, CEO Jun Jeong answered that it is a partner who aligns with Elysian's values. VR is a medium that realizes experiences impossible in reality. He pointed out the lack of partners who understand the future value of developing tools for experiences.

Excessive market expectations are also a burden for Elysian. CEO Jun Jeong stated that many investors believe future VR input technology will be resolved through Neuralink or Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). However, he emphasized that these technologies overlook technical and ethical issues.

“Reading and writing brain signals are different issues. Even if one tries to reproduce senses with AI, sensory data necessary for learning is needed. I believe that human interfaces must be commercialized before BCI to enable data collection.”

CEO Jun Jeong's next concern is proving the technological potential to investors. He stated, “While haptic technology has clear future value, it is challenging to present an immediate revenue model. The VR market itself has not yet reached a mature stage, and haptic technology requires further development. To persuade investors, it is necessary to emphasize not only technological prowess but also business strategy and market insight.”

Elysian is expanding the scope of technology application for growth. Beyond VR, it is applying human interface technology to fields such as robotics and AI training. For example, when remotely controlling a humanoid robot, it involves teaching movements and tactile sensations. Currently, humanoid robot learning relies solely on visual information. Through human interface equipment, Elysian enables real-time exchange of tactile and force intensity felt by robots with operators. CEO Jun Jeong believes that applying interactive human interfaces can reduce work error rates.

Aiming to Lead the 'Full Dive' VR Technology

Elysian collaborated with VR company HIG to jointly develop a gun-type controller. In November 2025, it plans to operate a VR booth with Aims Media. Additionally, it is conducting virtual content collaboration projects. By integrating web novel intellectual property (IP) with VR controller technology, it aims to help experience the world within novels.



Elysian is on a growth trajectory with support from the Seoul National University of Science and Technology's preliminary startup package in 2025. Elysian received support for development space, funds needed for prototype production, and equipment acquisition. Mentoring support necessary for developing a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was also provided. Consulting for product development and business strategy formulation necessary for hardware startups was also offered.

CEO Jun Jeong stated, “What hardware startups need are funds and space. Thanks to the support from Seoul National University of Science and Technology, we secured the equipment and materials needed for the production of human interface prototypes and started research and development. I am confident that the support from Seoul National University of Science and Technology will be the foundation for Elysian's growth.”

Elysian envisions a future where hardware innovation expands software possibilities and guides into a new immersive world through the new sensory channel of touch. CEO Jun Jeong stated, “I want to create a future where people fully immerse (full dive) in VR. For that to be possible, hardware must first show potential. Elysian wants to play that role.”

IT Donga Reporter Hyungseok Kang (redbk@itdonga.com)

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