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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

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    razix
    Participant
    June 5, 2013
    I'm trying to figure out what kinds of motion the Omni itself captures (without an add-on Kinect or other devices). Time index 0:33 of the video seems to give some hints. But it would be nice to see the features actually spelled out.


    The Omni does not have any embedded capture mechanism. It is just a piece of wood/plastic/metal with no moving parts or electrical mechanisms. Currently the Kinect (and optional oculus) is the only way movement is controlled in the game.

    The Omni will not come with a Kinect, but will come with a similar (but better) tracking device. It will still work with external tracking devices so if you want to use a Kinect 2.0 when it comes out it will work with that as well.

    I have been fortunate to have personally seen the omni in action and it is great - but I wouldnt recommend it with the Kinect 1.0 as there is a 1 second delay between movement and character action. ie: you stop walking on the omni and 1 second later your character stops walking.

    Jan said the KS version will ship with a better tracking mechanism and will be compatible with Kinect 2.
    Anonymous
    June 6, 2013
    Congrats on getting the Kickstarter funded so fast. Hope it keeps growing.
    Tbone
    Up and Coming
    June 6, 2013
    Honestly I'm completely shocked that the Omni is doing this well. It seems designed for a very specific niche (granted, the same niche that the Rift appeals to as early adapters). It's just so bulky, doesn't do its own tracking, requires special shoes, and is extremely loud.

    I'm still waiting for a solution that will attract a mass market and the casual gamer. I think the Rift can reach a mass market, but what other input devices can? For movement, I still think the Wii Balance Board is the closest.
    The Furious Angels - an Oculus Rift Online Gaming Community!
    AtariHistorian
    Up and Coming
    June 6, 2013
    "razix" wrote:
    The Omni will not come with a Kinect, but will come with a similar (but better) tracking device. It will still work with external tracking devices so if you want to use a Kinect 2.0 when it comes out it will work with that as well.

    Jan said the KS version will ship with a better tracking mechanism and will be compatible with Kinect 2.

    You know, they really should put that information on their Kickstarter page. I think most people have very little idea of what they're actually backing.
    blazespinnaker
    Up and Coming
    June 7, 2013
    I wrote a motion capture mechanism using the accelerometer in my ipod touch (strapped to my shin), and it pretty much has zero latency.

    I use this for my own DIY version of an omni. I'm working on the concave dish now.

    http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=140

    http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=140&t=17762
    craigotron
    Up and Coming
    June 7, 2013
    Gah! I got my Rift last week and forgot to keep checking in with reality! I totally missed that this was happening until just now. I'm thrilled that Virtuix blew away the Kickstarter goals, but bummed that I missed the early deals.

    Anyhow, I'm a backer now. Can't wait to try it.
    DrSnake
    Up and Coming
    June 7, 2013
    "craigotron" wrote:
    Gah! I got my Rift last week and forgot to keep checking in with reality! I totally missed that this was happening until just now. I'm thrilled that Virtuix blew away the Kickstarter goals, but bummed that I missed the early deals.

    Anyhow, I'm a backer now. Can't wait to try it.



    Developer of One Secret Fantasy One of the best virtual reality dating games www.onesecretfantasy.com
    craigotron
    Up and Coming
    June 7, 2013
    But when I'm in the Rift it feels like this!


    AtariHistorian
    Up and Coming
    June 9, 2013
    Am I the only one that thinks that the VR experience is going to quickly get out of sync with keyboard emulation? Perhaps two forward speeds (walk, run) would be acceptable. But if there is only a single yawspeed (which in itself seems troublesome), the only factor that is being utilized to control left/right rotation is how long that yaw in enabled (the duration that the left/right turn key is held down). It sounds to me like a recipe for motion sickness if you are able to match the direction, but not necessarily the intensity. Is this a fair analysis?

    Have they made any more announcement on an SDK that would allow for direct reads of the yaw value that are exact? From a programming standpoint, I also have to wonder how many games are going to allow a third party program to give it an absolute yaw input. Sure, from a programming perspective, it isn't difficult. The problem is that a mechanism that allows for absolute yaw input would also seem to be a favorable input mechanism for an aimbot. Is direct yaw input a potential source for trouble?

    PS: I totally love the Omni. I'm just trying to analyze some of the potential negatives ahead of its release.
    ArneOdland
    Up and Coming
    July 18, 2013
    I just went "OMNI ALL-IN" on the Virtuix Kickstarter with five additional pair of shoes to cover sizes 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

    Now to find that bowling alley shoe spray... Maybe this stuff?

    10-Seconds Deodorant & Disinfectant
    http://www.amazon.com/10-Seconds-Deodorant-Disinfectant/dp/B000QCOF1M/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top


    The Mini Omni!!! [part of OMNI ALL-IN]
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