Skip to main content
jan
Up and Coming
April 9, 2013

Virtuix Omni - Omni treadmill for use with the Rift

Hi all,

Wanted to introduce our Omni project to the game developers and Rift enthusiasts on this forum. With the advent of the Rift, it becomes apparent that a traditional keyboard / mouse / game pad is not conducive to great VR. Especially with the Rift, you no longer want to just sit down. At the very least, you want to be standing up. What if, instead of using a game pad to move around (with the possibility of getting motion sick while doing so), you could walk naturally and freely in the virtual world?

We have been working on the Omni for more than a year now. The Omni is the first omni treadmill focused on consumer use: affordable, compact, and enabling a user to move naturally in virtual environments such as games. Feel free to check out our website and Skyrim demo below: (note: this demo is with our old and clunky prototype :) )

http://www.virtuix.com




I believe there is a huge opportunity for game developers to create fascinating VR content. VR is a new medium that needs dedicated content, and the “killer game” that makes VR a “must-have” for a large audience. Good news: the canvas is vast and empty. I can’t wait to see what developers come up with!

We want to learn as much as possible from the input and creativity of this community, so please let us know your feedback! Let us know what you would like to change, have implemented, what questions you may have, etc.!

Best regards,

Jan

    77 replies

    Show previous replies
    AlphaRay
    Up and Coming
    April 18, 2013
    Very cool stuff :)

    I was daydreaming at work today hoping something like this would come along to use with the Rift. One thing I noticed though, was that you would still have to worry about the cables getting tangled as you spin around in the treadmill (until it all goes wireless that is).

    What if you made something similar to what you have now, but a little taller and with a rotating (slightly elastic) parachute harness that hangs from the top instead of the hip support? I do realize that this would make the whole unit heavier, more expensive, and more intimidating... but I also think it would give the player a greater range of motion with their arms (hydra/wii controllers), crouching/jumping, and look a little less like a baby-walker. You could then also run the headset cable up through the center and not have to worry about the tangles.

    Edit: Additionally, with the added support from the harness, you might be able to use a flat surface instead of a curved one, which I imagine would be more comfortable for the longer gaming sessions.
    nschultz
    New Participant
    April 18, 2013
    I would like to point out that a treadmill is a very clunky and expensive way to go about virtual reality. I saw a Ted Talk recently where I found the possibly for great advancements in virtual reality: http://www.ted.com/talks/miguel_nicolelis_a_monkey_that_controls_a_robot_with_its_thoughts_no_really.html

    You can see how people were able to transfer the brainwaves from the monkey into the robotic arm, essentially giving it another limb. If the brainwaves were instead used as events in the Oculus software, you could move your virtual character by simply thinking. The video also mentions how it is possibly to send messages back to the brain that give the person the ability to feel whatever they touch. This whole idea would make virtual reality a very immersive and cool experience and you should consider using (and giving credit to) my idea.
    Thanks!
    KuraIthys
    Up and Coming
    April 18, 2013
    Ahem... As cool as that is, it requires surgically implanting electrodes... Which... Is a bit much. (you can sort of do it without that, but it's not very reliable)
    And feedback into the brain is even more problematic to do without literally wiring a huge number of electrodes into a person's brain...

    But if you're going down that route anyway, you might as well dispense with the headset and wire directly into the visual cortex.

    I think you're at least a couple of decades early with a suggestion like that.

    (Also, you're far from the first person to suggest it. ;p)
    KingK76
    Up and Coming
    April 18, 2013
    "KuraIthys" wrote:
    Ahem... As cool as that is, it requires surgically implanting electrodes... Which... Is a bit much. (you can sort of do it without that, but it's not very reliable)
    And feedback into the brain is even more problematic to do without literally wiring a huge number of electrodes into a person's brain...

    But if you're going down that route anyway, you might as well dispense with the headset and wire directly into the visual cortex.

    I think you're at least a couple of decades early with a suggestion like that.

    (Also, you're far from the first person to suggest it. ;p)


    Here, Here!... His idea... Ya right, no one has thought of that before him...lol. :lol: Anyway you're walking in the game and walking in real life. Not thinking about walking. The whole brain waves thing would be great for people who are physically disabled but I would way rather something like this.
    janAuthor
    Up and Coming
    April 18, 2013
    While we are still waiting for our brain implants, wanted to share a couple of demos of the Rift with the Omni. Here's the first one: TF2! No more pushing buttons or sitting down. Rift + Omni = VR. It's great immersion (and pretty intense, ha). What do you think?

    More to follow! Let me know if you have any suggestions.

    Jan


    cybereality
    Inspiring
    April 19, 2013
    Looks awesome, Jan!!!! Can't wait to try this myself.
    AMD Ryzen 7 1800X | MSI X370 Titanium | G.Skill 16GB DDR4 3200 | EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 | Corsair Hydro H110i Gigabyte RX Vega 64 x2 | Samsung 960 Evo M.2 500GB | Seagate FireCuda SSHD 2TB | Phanteks ENTHOO EVOLV
    janAuthor
    Up and Coming
    April 20, 2013
    Cyber, thanks! Will try to bring to Southern California next month.
    k2k
    New Participant
    April 21, 2013
    Hi Janvr i was wondering how tall you are as in your running demo in your garage you were sometimes catching your heels on the posts around the 10second mark, is there any way round this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpYJXrDH ... edded#t=9s :D
    janAuthor
    Up and Coming
    April 23, 2013
    Hi K2k, don't worry about the posts, as the final design will be slightly different. Renderings to follow soon!
    Peejle
    Up and Coming
    April 23, 2013
    Jan

    I'm looking forward to your kickstarter. A few questions:

    Any idea what the final price for the retail product will be?
    Do you have to alter the way you naturally walk? If so, does that effect when fatigue sets in?
    Can you run all out / walk very slowly?
    How does backing up work?
    How long do the special shoes last before needing to be replaced?

    Thanks
    peejle
    Show more replies
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement