Forum Discussion
Viiwok - Virtual treadmill & reality simulator.
Hi all, I'm a young systems engineer from Spain with a passion for architecture, topography, surveilling, photogrammetry and gaming.
In about 2 weeks I'll be launching an IndieGogo campaign (I'm european so I can't submit projects for KickStarter) for a similar product, a treadmill simulator that would have the added advantage that all the sensors would be built in (walking, turning, jumping, crouching) at 120 Hz response frequency (basically zero latency/lag, the same you have from using a keyboard/mouse combo).
You wouldn't need a Kinect or a Hydra at an added cost and you wouldn't need to wear those Virtuix special shoes to be able to slide, like in the Virtuix or the cvasi-walk like with the WizDish. You'd be able to crouch properly, instead of bending. You'd be able to sit down when you get tired after all that moving around.
The system is natively compatible with any platform - Windows, Mac OSX and Linux are supported out of the box, no special drivers needed, you plug it in and it's set to go. And most of all, the price would be around 250€.
The concept is orientated towards virtual exploration and tourism (real monuments, historic sites and other places of interest modeled and rendered using powerful gaming engines like the CryEngine) but FPS gamers would find it quite tight in addition to the Oculus, whenever the latter will be launched. Until then, players would be able to shoot ahead without an Oculus, using a normal monitor screen or a HDTV, since everything would be motion ready and fitted with all the necesary sensors.
Stay tuned for more details.
Youtube demos to follow and other details on http://www.viiwok.com during the next few weeks.
In about 2 weeks I'll be launching an IndieGogo campaign (I'm european so I can't submit projects for KickStarter) for a similar product, a treadmill simulator that would have the added advantage that all the sensors would be built in (walking, turning, jumping, crouching) at 120 Hz response frequency (basically zero latency/lag, the same you have from using a keyboard/mouse combo).
You wouldn't need a Kinect or a Hydra at an added cost and you wouldn't need to wear those Virtuix special shoes to be able to slide, like in the Virtuix or the cvasi-walk like with the WizDish. You'd be able to crouch properly, instead of bending. You'd be able to sit down when you get tired after all that moving around.
The system is natively compatible with any platform - Windows, Mac OSX and Linux are supported out of the box, no special drivers needed, you plug it in and it's set to go. And most of all, the price would be around 250€.
The concept is orientated towards virtual exploration and tourism (real monuments, historic sites and other places of interest modeled and rendered using powerful gaming engines like the CryEngine) but FPS gamers would find it quite tight in addition to the Oculus, whenever the latter will be launched. Until then, players would be able to shoot ahead without an Oculus, using a normal monitor screen or a HDTV, since everything would be motion ready and fitted with all the necesary sensors.
Stay tuned for more details.
Youtube demos to follow and other details on http://www.viiwok.com during the next few weeks.
104 Replies
- Interesting, can you post more info in here even without your page and youtube up and running?
- Yet another omnidirectional treadmill! Nice, the more, the merrier!
Btw you could try to incorporate in the UK (i.e. start a Ltd.) and launch the project on the UK division of Kickstarter. Check their terms and conditions. I think Kickstarter has a wider audience, especially if you will deliver your goods world-wide.
Either way, good luck.
PS: Perhaps it's better to remain under the radar, just talk to a few important people in private, until you are ready to go and have something to show... "sven" wrote:
PS: Perhaps it's better to remain under the radar, just talk to a few important people in private, until you are ready to go and have something to show...
My point exactly :) Bit by bit, from the next week onwards.
So far I haven't received any private messages lol. It's understandable though.
I don't know about the UK LTD. thing, could be quite complicated for me, I'm alone in this and I don't know if the concept will have any success in order to warrant such an endeavour. Maybe after the indiegogo campaign, if the reaction is positive.- Hey Attreyu!
Wonderful to see a Spanish made treadmill device! I live in Murcia but I wouldn't mind to do a trip to Ciudad Real to see your treadmill when you have a working prototype hehehe. I've created a thread talking about your device at realovirtual.com, my website (in construction, just like yours) and forum. It would be wonderful if you registered at our forums and talked a bit about your device. I also have a Spanish YouTube channel dedicated to virtual reality gaming, I hope to create a video about the Viiwok soon.
¡Saludos amigo! - The device will have hydra-like functionality included.
You could use any toy-weapon as a wireless controller, so you wouldn't need to buy a Hydra separately.
Everything for a target price of 250€ - approx. 350$. - Here are some more details as posted by Attreyu in the Spanish forum (http://www.realovirtual.com/foro/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=51#p289):
- He started working on it 1 year ago, and has been dedicating more time to it lately due to unemployment (don't know if I should put a sad or a happy emoticon! oh well :P )
- The base is a metal surface (will ventually be ABS plastic) similar to a satellite dish.
- You either use dedicated shoes with ball bearings or you strap on an attachment.
- 8 ball bearings per foot. They raise you off the ground about 2-3 cm.
- The ball bearings are custom-made by a British company named Omnitrack.
- For support, there is a circular tire that fits over 3 vertical, height-adjustable aluminum bars.
- The tire spins readily and there are rubber surfaces between it and the user.
- You can easily jump and crouch. :)
- There are 3 wireless Xbee Arduino sensors with accelerometer and gyroscopes. One sensor per foot to detect horizontal X/Y movement, and a third one on the waist to detect rotation and vertical Z movement.
- The sensors are highly sensitive and update at >120Hz.
Those are the highlights. Well, I started writing this post with the intention of summarizing things, and I almost translated his whole post :P It's just so exciting! A VR revolution is really taking place, and we're in the middle of it all. - Thank you Zoide for the Translation!
Could I advise Mr. "attreyu" to post a video before the 4th? I'm planning on buying the Virtux Omni and so far this is the only project that makes me pause. Unfortunately I think a lot of us will pass up on this project if nothing concrete is shown and will just buy the Virtuix Omni when its kickstater begins.
Regards,
Luc - My project is not competing with the Virtuix Omni, it's just a better alternative. I will launch on IndieGoGo maybe around the date of 10th. I will be able to take orders almost instantly, instead of waiting 'till Christmas or God knows when. You won't need a Hydra. In fact you won't need an Oculus either. You can crouch instead of bending and you can sit down. And it will be half the price.
"Attreyu" wrote:
My project is not competing with the Virtuix Omni, it's just a better alternative. I will launch on IndieGoGo maybe around the date of 10th. I will be able to take orders almost instantly, instead of waiting 'till Christmas or God knows when. You won't need a Hydra. In fact you won't need an Oculus either. You can crouch instead of bending and you can sit down. And it will be half the price.
Damn!!! Now that just sounds awesome. How big and heavy is it? Will you make it yourself in Spain or will it be mass-produced somewhere else? This will make a big difference in the final price because of shipping costs.- Thank you for you reply Attreyu, much appreciated.
Your project does sound interesting and I'm indeed tempted to wait for it. I'm failing to understand how you are not in competition with the Virtuix Omni though, do you foresee people buying both? Or maybe you mean that as long as the product advances VR buying any product is fine with you?
I'm afraid that I'll wait for your product, miss out on the early bird special on the Virtuix Omni, and then potentially be disappointed with your device (potentially!) If a video by the 4th is impossible could you kinddly maybe answer a few questions?
-How is the user stable and the device and yet able to crouch?
-Do you foresee any problems with jumping on bearings mounted shoes? I'm no light weight.
-What is your devices diameter?
-How do the sensor connect to the computer? If wireless then how do you charge them?
-Else then the price, what does your device do better then others?
Thank you for you time,
Luc
