Take a stroll through virtual reality on the CyberWalk omni-directional treadmill
By Darren Quick
19:02 November 4, 2009 PST
Jogging on the spot has gone high tech thanks to an omni-directional treadmill that allows you to walk in any direction while staying centered on the treadmill. When coupled with virtual reality (VR) technology it offers the potential for truly natural walking and immersion in virtual environments.
Researchers have been working on various ways to allow a person to physically walk through a virtual environment while remaining in one spot. We’ve seen Powered Shoes that work like reverse roller skates, the VirtuSphere, which is like an oversized hamster ball sitting atop a base of rollers, and the Stringwalker, which supports a person using eight strings actuated by motor-pulley mechanisms mounted on a turntable. The CyberWalk approach is different again in that it is made up of a series of belt treadmills mounted on a conveyor belt of sorts.
