Pumped Up Kicks - Forget treadmills, Google patents VR sneakers

[rcmaehl]

Source:
Arstechnica

Summary:
Google is working on fully immersive VR, looking to replace the current "treadmill" designs with shoes that move in the opposite direction of your movement.

Media:

Quotes/Excerpts:

Quote

If virtual reality is ever going to become the immersive, holodeck-style platform that we all dream of, someone is going to have to figure out locomotion. So far, we've seen a few solutions that take aim at VR's "limited space" problem. On the simpler side of the spectrum, one option has you stick a motion tracker in your pants and jog in place. On the more complicated end, there's the "VR treadmill" solution, which has you strap into a big plastic platform that keeps you in place with slippery footwear and a waist harness. Neither option is quite the same as natural walking, but a new patent from Google puts forth an interesting idea: what about motorized VR shoes? What are essentially motorized VR roller skates. Google's new kicks will let you walk "seemingly endlessly in the virtual environment" Google's patent shows normal wheels, tracks, and even omnidirectional mecanum wheels as possible wheels for the VR shoe bottoms. Omnidirectional wheels would be great, as they would allow you to do things like sidestep, while still having your position corrected by the shoes. We're still curious if Google can do this without the user falling over. Walking around in VR, where you are blind to the real world, is already a strange sensation that can mess with your balance. All the VR treadmills out there have a rigid waist support. That said, if Google gets everything right, strapping on a pair of compact VR shoes sounds a lot easier than having to store a giant treadmill somewhere.

 

My Thoughts:

I'm not sure how to feel about this. I mean with enough immersion it may work, but I have a feeling this will just make VR slip-ups like the video below even worse as you fly across the room in your VR rollerskates.

 

[DVA]

I mean.. I guess? 

 

If Usain Bolt can run in these, I'm down lol

[rcmaehl]

2 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

aren't "treadmills on shoes".... basically roller skates? o_O

Card games on motorcycles actually... er I mean yes but no

[DVA]

6 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

aren't "treadmills on shoes".... basically roller skates? o_O

Difference being you have to manual move your foot for each step vs one step = like 1 yard/meter/foot, etc. 

[Guest]

Can't say this will catch on, need to have lighter fewer equipment for VR, not more. 

[WereCat]

6 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Can't say this will catch on, need to have lighter fewer equipment for VR, not more. 

Yes... but solving movement in VR is one of the most difficult tasks. I dont see any way to solve it without aditional tools.

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Yes... but solving movement in VR is one of the most difficult tasks. I dont see any way to solve it without aditional tools.

Use an omnidirectional treadmill, then no need to put on shoes. Why put on extra pair of shoes when you can just walk on?

[Brooksie359]

8 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Yes... but solving movement in VR is one of the most difficult tasks. I dont see any way to solve it without aditional tools.

Only good solution is to be suspended by the waist above an ice rink. Enough suspension to not fall over but still touch the ground. I mean I don't know what these other guys are doing fooling around with moving floors or shoes when the best way to do it is with a frictionless surface. 

[WereCat]

2 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Use an omnidirectional treadmill, then no need to put on shoes. Why put on extra pair of shoes when you can just walk on?

because everyone has a space for an omnidirectional threadmill

[Syntaxvgm]

For a split second I thought my toes would be looking into googles. 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, WereCat said:

because everyone has a space for an omnidirectional threadmill

To be fair, if you don't have the space you won't be going anywhere with the shoes either lol

[WereCat]

9 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

To be fair, if you don't have the space you won't be going anywhere with the shoes either lol

Once you stop playing the VR, the treadmill stays.

You can put shoes away to free up the space easily.

[Brooksie359]

2 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Once you stop playing the VR, the treadmill stays.

You can put shoes away to free up the space easily.

I guess the solution is to wear really slippery shoes because that is essentially what this is but overengineered. 

[rcmaehl]

Just now, Brooksie359 said:

I guess the solution is to wear really slippery shoes because that is essentially what this is but overengineered. 

Socks and waxed wood/linoleum floor

[Brooksie359]

1 minute ago, rcmaehl said:

Socks and waxed wood/linoleum floor

I think we just solved the space for VR issue. Just need to be suspended to make sure you don't fall over and break the headset while it's still on. 

[GoldenLag]

is it going to be like SAO?

 

i mean like it take a abridged production team to fix it?

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Once you stop playing the VR, the treadmill stays.

You can put shoes away to free up the space easily.

Well if you live in a hole that can't accomodate a treadmill should your priority really be VR?

[Catsrules]

50 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Well if you live in a hole that can't accomodate a treadmill should your priority really be VR?

You can still live in a nice place and not have room for a treadmill. Treadmills are very large and take up lots of room. 

[WereCat]

57 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Well if you live in a hole that can't accomodate a treadmill should your priority really be VR?

Sigh...

This is my VR space. Its plenty for VR. 

I definitely wouldnt want treadmill in there. 

Im not saying the Google sneakers are a great idea as well though, its something at least. 

 

 

 

 

You need to realize that there are MANY people with the same or less amount of space. Treadmill is not a solution if VR should be sold to masses. 

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Catsrules said:

You can still live in a nice place and not have room for a treadmill. Treadmills are very large and take up lots of room. 

Some small places are nice but still small! Treadmills vary a lot in size and i'm more thinking like something in that VR movie that was released not too long ago. Neither the treadmills nor the sneakers have been released yet. 

 

6 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Sigh...

This is my VR space. Its plenty for VR. 

I definitely wouldnt want treadmill in there. 

Im not saying the Google sneakers are a great idea as well though, its something at least. 

 

 

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You need to realize that there are MANY people with the same or less amount of space. Treadmill is not a solution if VR should be sold to masses. 

You're going to be moving around in the sneakers as well with just as much space. Many people might have that much space, in which case they shouldn't focus on something as expensive as VR. 

[WereCat]

8 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

You're going to be moving around in the sneakers as well with just as much space. Many people might have that much space, in which case they shouldn't focus on something as expensive as VR. 

You are missing the point.

OFC I will be moving in that space. But once I wont, I can put the sneakers away...easily... and I have the space now available for stuff.

[Catsrules]

14 minutes ago, RorzNZ said:

Some small places are nice but still small! Treadmills vary a lot in size and i'm more thinking like something in that VR movie that was released not too long ago. Neither the treadmills nor the sneakers have been released yet. 

 

Most of the prototype VR treadmills are gigantic, not something anyone would want to put in their homes. Your basicly looking at a dedicated room just for VR. I don't think that is something most VR people have. 

 

Most setups work because the VR space is basically empty space that would normally be empty because people walk in that space like a living room between the TV and the sofa. Or my VR space for example has two office chairs in it. Because I have it setup in my office. When I play VR I roll the chairs out of the way, and put them back when I am done. I works perfectly fine for me. However if I was to get a treadmill and put it in my VR space that woudn't work because I couldn't put my office back and use that room for an office. Or walk around my office because I have a giant treadmill in the way.

[maartendc]

Michael Jackson solved this problem way back in the early 80ies.

[dtaflorida]

I'm not optimistic about these shoes. Where is google glass? I'd prefer they patent it, and then release it to everyone to use. The patent only really existing to prevent patent trolling. 

[Noctus]

Anyone else immediately think of this?