Cybershoes presented a new way to get around Virtual Reality applications at E3 2018. How does the Treadmill alternative work?
Through Virtual Reality, we are supposed to immerse ourselves in worlds that surpass everything in immersion. However, one important aspect – locomotion on one’s own two feet – is still lacking due to lack of space. Treadmills like the KAT Walk Mini are supposed to provide the solution but are often still bulky and costly.
Alternative: VR shoes and bar stools
At the E3 2018, Cybershoes presented a much more mass-compatible form of VR locomotion. The manufacturer shows what the mountain pines of the same name can do in the trailer below these lines.
The Cybershoes work in combination with a bar stool that can be rotated freely and thus offers 360 degrees of freedom of movement. Of course, we don’t really walk: In a seated position we move our feet across the floor and simulate a kind of walking movement. The rollers under the shoes transmit corresponding signals to VR applications.
How well this will work in practice remains to be seen: YouTuber Tyriel Wood has already had the opportunity to test the cybershoes in a short demo and reports in a video about aching legs as well as bugs and inaccuracies. Obviously, however, there is still a lot of technical work to be done before the product is finished.
The crowdfunding campaign will start shortly
Cybershoes will provide SteamVR support and work with any virtual reality game as well as popular headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and those of the Windows Mixed Reality platform. The setup and use of the clever pedals should be uncomplicated.
How well this will work in practice remains to be seen: YouTuber Tyriel Wood has already had the opportunity to test the cybershoes in a short demo and reports in a video about aching legs as well as bugs and inaccuracies. Obviously, however, there is still a lot of technical work to be done before the product is finished.
The crowdfunding campaign will start shortly
Cybershoes will provide SteamVR support and work with any virtual reality game as well as popular headsets such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and those of the Windows Mixed Reality platform. The setup and use of the clever pedals should be uncomplicated.
But there will probably be some time before all this becomes reality: Presented at current game fairs, the cybershoes will soon be financed by a Kickstarter campaign so that they can go into mass production. The amount required by the developer is not yet known.
Treadmills and footwear are not the only solutions for VR movement: Crowdfunding has also financed the Alto100 motion controller platform, on which we move through body tilts.
What do you think of the concept of cybershoes? Can you imagine exploring virtual space like this? Share your opinion with us in the comments!