VR Walking Simulator - now with extra walking!

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Sooo… As long as they’re working, you can walk, and stay in the same place. But if they ever break down, you step through the window?

Not good for people on the 12th floor.

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A cool prototype, and might be a great fitness implement. I would be especially interested in whether this actually eliminates the motion sickness…
Better not get attacked by Sentinels in these, though. I guess they’d still need a couple million dollars thrown at them until they can handle complex footwork… :rofl:

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There have been different variations of this idea floating around that usually hold the person in place with railings. This one still looks like running and dodging would make you stumble.

I’ve been playing VR games for a while and I never stepped out of the playzone. The headsets replace the game screen by a picture of digital walls when you come close to the edge, which breaks the immersion enough to remind you that there are irl obstacles.

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OK. The principle here is that you make normal walking motions, but the footwear, through motors, bearings, and rollers, compensates exactly for the motion - so you stay in one place. It doesn’t just feel like you’re walking - you are walking - but the shoes are continually putting you back where you were.

In the meantime, the headset is projecting images of a landscape (say, a field), and your movement through the field is synchronised exactly with the movement of your feet. So your body proprioception tells you you’re walking, and your vision confirms this.

But like I said, you actually are walking. You’re making all the necessary movements. The only reason you don’t go anywhere is because the shoes keep rolling you back to the same spot.

So you’re in your 12th floor apartment, and you’re wearing the headset, so you can’t see the apartment -you see a field. And you’re wearing the shoes, so you can walk through the field, and the shoes will safely keep rolling you back to the same spot. And that’s all fine.

Until the moment the shoes break down, and stop rolling you back to the same spot. And at that point, you really do start walking. But you can’t see the apartment - as far as you’re concerned, you’re still walking through a field. Everything feels the same. You keep on walking.

And at that point, if you’re lucky, you walk into a wall, or trip over a chair. If you’re not lucky, you left the picture windows open…

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The body still doesn’t experience any acceleration, which I think would be quite noticable if it changed…

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Change in acceleration:

“This VR is amazing. It feels exactly like I’m flyi…” (optional splat noise)

*Note -

You shouldn’t take the things I say too seriously. I’m often just extrapolating bizarre and unlikely consequences. I spent 25 years investigating industrial accidents - if you show me a picture of technology, I automatically slip into “How is this going to kill you?”

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Don’t we all? :laughing:

Soooo… you’re basically a detective investigating machines killing people. That sounds like a job with a bright future… :+1:

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I am retired now, but essentially, yes.

My background was originally in engineering, then I was a firefighter for 10 years, but my degree is in archaeology. Fighting killer robots seemed like an obvious choice. :rofl:

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Could have used a treadmill ? :smile:

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Joke, I know - but that’s essentially just what they are. Treadmills you wear on your feet.

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You’ve got the contract to build me an android lover and wait outside the door in case she gets too hot to handle! :slight_smile:

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Well, most of my experience comes from machines that ripped people apart. But if you’re willing to take the risk, I’m willing to try. Which parts would you enjoy having removed?

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I think I will keep my elliptical, thanks! But I wouldn’t mind a slow walking app simulating a grassy field, some woods, etc.

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I am surprised nobody has asked about the jetpack implementation yet! :grinning:

The next version of that harness needs an integrated pulley to lift the players off their feet when jetpacking! And what about low gravity jumps!

I’m curious how VR will develop — force-feedback full-body suit? There is a difference between which sensory input we want to support, what we can support, and what is practical and comfortable to use in a household. A VR helmet is a small discomfort to pay for a cool game, but after how much added gear will players draw the line? :sweat_smile:

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Yes!

(Not sure if astronaut or broken bones patient)

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Ain’t much of a difference after the astronaut was in space for a couple of months… :stuck_out_tongue:

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