At least it’s a step up from the trampoline device that they used in the movie Disclosure.
A pair of motorised roller skates that cancel out a person’s steps could let users naturally explore virtual reality landscapes in confined spaces.
Each shoe is mounted on top of a set of three motorised rollers and is connected by cable to a computer on the user’s back. This computer controls both the motion of skates and a head-mounted display that shows the user a virtual landscape.
As the wearer walks forwards, the connected computer controls the rollers under their feet, cancelling out their strides. The computer also updates the visual display to create the illusion of walking through the virtual world.
Now all they have to do is tie it into a tracking headset and gloves and we can play Halo 3 when it comes out.
I’m sure they’d be wonderful, as long as the motorized rollers stayed coordinated. But what happens when one set decides to run forward, and the other decides to run backward? Or they both go into high gear in the same direction…
So lemme get this strait. This device lets able-bodied people walk in VR world, while it makes you immobile in real life. I guess if they used this in reversed the device, it would allow disabled people to walk in real life?
Hopefully you can use this sitting so you don’t fall over standing. if it’s going to cancel out your body movements, you need to be some place stable.
only two comments? come on… this is cool…
I am concerned about maintaining balance, but I guess it accounts for that, or we get used to it…
What I’d like to see is a wheelchair attached to a dynomomoter-type device which would allow forward and reverse movement as well as rotation left and right (think army tank). This would facilitate a VR experience which was immersive (even better if the dyno had motor control to ‘take you’ into the experience.) This would seem a lot easier than using skates and it would inherently keep you in one spot better.
Just an idea
RE: #1
Jane, Jane!
Stop this crazy thing!
Jane, Jane!