Google Patents Motorized, Omnidirectional VR Sneakers (arstechnica.com)

Google has patented motorized, omnidirectional virtual-reality sneakers that may solve the "limited space" problem associated with the interactive computer-generated experience. Ars Technica reports: Google's patent describes what are essentially motorized VR roller skates that will let the user walk normally while the motors and wheels work to negate your natural locomotion and keep you inside the VR safe zone. As the patent puts it, Google's new kicks will let you walk "seemingly endlessly in the virtual environment" while keeping you in one spot in real life. Google's shoe solution would track the user's feet, just like how VR controllers are tracked today. The tracking would know when you're too close to the virtual walls of your VR area, and the system would wheel you back into place.

Patents are always written to give the broadest possible coverage of an idea, but Google's patent shows normal wheels, tracks, and even omnidirectional mecanum wheels as possible wheels for the VR shoe bottoms. Omnidirectional wheels would be great, as they would allow you to do things like sidestep, while still having your position corrected by the shoes.

Comments

Inner ear

[markdavis]

>"The tracking would know when you're too close to the virtual walls of your VR area, and the system would wheel you back into place."

And your inner ear (balance and acceleration) would immediately know you were being moved without actually wanting to move and it could make you sick as a dog- just like being sea-sick. It is a neat idea, but it is far from seamless or natural. In fact, it might even amplify other contradictory signals being fed into your eyes (vision) and ears (hearing). Knowing me, I would be super sick :)

Re:Are they on balls?

[AmiMoJo]

If the movement is gentle and smooth enough the inner ear isn't sensitive enough to notice.

People who have been on Japanese high speed trains or in some electric cars will know this. More than once I've been on the train, looked down at something and when I looked up again the station was slowly rolling past the window.

It would probably have to be combined with more aggressive acceleration for when the user starts running. The main challenge would be creating a pair of shoes that can accelerate you gently in perfect sync.