There are dozens of videos on YouTube of people wearing a virtual reality headset crashing into various objects in a room. Movement in virtual reality has been an unsolved problem for a long time. If you’re physically moving, sooner or later you’re going to crash. If, on the other hand, you only move virtually, you risk nausea.
But Disney did not want to accept the limitation of virtual reality to more or less static scenes and prepared special HoloTile floor. Its most fundamental benefit is the fact that it allows movement in all directions without the user actually moving from the spot.
HoloTile floor
In a YouTube video, engineer and inventor Lanny Smoot introduced a new project that Disney’s research and development department is working on. In it, HoloTile describes as “the world’s first omnidirectional, modular and expandable multi-person floor”.
HoloTile floor allows users to walk in any direction without moving from a spot or encountered the real world. “It automatically does whatever it takes to keep me on the floor. And what’s amazing about it: there can be more people on it and everyone can walk independently. They can walk around in virtual reality and do a lot of other things.” says Smoot in the following video (starting at 3:15):
Smoot has been developing this technology for several years, and its inspiration comes from science fiction literature. The moving floor idea is Smoot’s interpretation of the Holodeck – a virtual reality that often appeared in episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It was a space that allowed users to enter an immersive and unlimited simulation of a physical environment.
You can go where you want, but you stay put
The video shows Smoot walking through a virtual environment with a Quest Pro headset. What they see is projected on the screen in the background. Unlike most virtual reality experiences, where a meandering walk and repeated changes of direction could end up crashing into a wall or a piece of furniture, Smoot there is no danger of him bumping into anything.
The floor beneath it moves like an omnidirectional treadmill when you walk. It consists of hundreds of small, tile-like discs arranged in a circle about a meter and a half wide. The floor gently moves underfoot, creating the illusion of walking and covering distance. Smoot himself did not move more than a few tens of centimeters during the presentation in the actual physical space.
“Imagine that a group of people can explore different places together without having to leave the room. Imagine theater sets using this technology, allowing dancers to perform amazing stunts. The possibilities of using this technology are countless, and we don’t yet know where it will find application.” says Smoot.
Disney’s invention is probably technically complex and represents an interesting use of new technology. The floor looks very elegant, but in practical life its higher noise level can be an obstacle. The question remains what is going on under the floor and whether sensors, cameras, or other technology are used to track movement.
2024-02-24 09:45:25
#dont #crash #walls #HoloTile #walk #place
