Virtual Reality Moves One Step Ahead, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive Can Now Do Treadmill Movements, #RIPMotion on the Rise?

The tech world was excited with the introduction of virtual reality. A once-dreamt idea is now available in real life. Though the launches were quite successful, some think that the VR technology might actually harm human health.

Meanwhile, others are proving that it depends on the user’s aim for utilizing the VR technology to determine if the tool can be used for good or not. One game developer shared his “healthy” trick to Arstechnica and showed how people can just stick their Oculus Rift and HTC Vive down their pants and make the tool work.

In the video, the user showed the struggle of using VR consoles in a normal house environment. Since VR alters the visual dimension of the user, the user would fail to recognize his or her “real” outside environment. If the user is running in the game, he cannot do it properly since there might be chairs that could block the movement.

To solve the issue, it was suggested that gamers can just put their VR down their pants to allow for easier tool navigation. Now that the VR is at the level of the user’s body, the tool can recognize its movements easier. The user in the video even demonstrated how one can just run in place to progress in the VR game. Though it still cannot do fast running, it’s still better than the original VR gesture.

Using Virtual Reality for Movements and Motion

Because of the walking and motion conflicts VR users face, many tech companies have devised alternatives on how users can remain in place and still enjoy the movements of the VR game. One of those innovators is Infinadeck.

According to Nerdist, Infinadeck aims to be the “true omnidirectional treadmill designed for consumer use.” The interesting about Infinadeck is its capability to provide users to move in two dimensions. A normal treadmill moves forwards. On the other hand, the Infinadeck allows users to walk and run in four different directions: forward, backward, left and right.

The Infinadeck was introduced at the CES 2016. It uses a “looping belt powered by two motors which could propel a user standing atop it in the opposite direction they intended to walk.” So whether the user is aiming to go back to his original direction or turn sideways, he can have the full VR experience with the Infinadeck.

One other VR movement challenger is called the Virtruix VR treadmill. The Virtuix Omni treadmill has the same aim as the Infinadeck. The project has been on Kickstarter for quite some time now, but it was finally launched during CES 2016. Though it looks promising, Gizmag noted that it’s not working too well.

“This is because the sensors inside the base unit and on the shoes require you to drag your feet down the slopes of the treadmill. The forward step feels somewhat natural (it’s like walking up on a slight incline), but the need to slide your foot backwards after each step feels odd. I picked up on it quickly, but it never felt completely intuitive (and I’m not sure if I wanted it to).

“That’s too bad, because the Virtuix Omni is a bold product that may be about as good as a 360-degree VR treadmill can be at the moment. You can turn in all directions, the latency wasn’t noticeable and the harness allowed me to quickly change orientation without falling down or out of the Omni.”

Though not all of these VR treadmill products are perfect yet, it is still good to see that virtual reality technology is not a sign that humans will now be bound to sit all day as they transverse a world outside ours.

[Image Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images]