Virtual reality has undergone exponential development in recent years and represents important research directions for the coming years. One of the main problems that has not been solved yet is the feeling of being completely immersed in the virtual environment (VE), and one of the most important aspects that has yet to be explored is the movement in VE. Some studies have proposed a bidirectional active treadmill device adapted from a conventional unidirectional treadmill. The device is used to investigate the way to walk smoothly and calmly over a very limited surface area. To control the speed and direction of the treadmill, the authors propose two simple algorithms. The implementation of the algorithms, experimental setup, tests and results are still to be fully researched.
An omnidirectional treadmill (ODT) is a mechanical device similar to a typical treadmill that allows a person to locomotive in any direction, allowing for 360 degrees of movement. These treadmills differ from their basic counterparts in their ability to move in any direction (which only allows unidirectional movement). Omnidirectional treadmills are used in immersive virtual environment implementations to provide a seamless experience in virtual space.
The benefits of combining an ODT with an immersive virtual environment include:
Natural navigational movement of the system user inside the fence, while providing contextual cues that simulate physical movement through the virtual terrain.
Return of immersive navigation tasks from manual control (mouse, joystick) to mentally fixed control of the whole body (leg)
Enhanced immersion through full body sensation that starts at the soles of the feet and ends at the top of the head.
Facilitate whole-body tactile interaction
Realistic movement with your Oculus Quest is a more complex matter. There are only two applications on the market (City Run VR and Desert Run VR) that allow you to realistically simulate a jogging, running or even a simple walk workout, which you can buy immediately by clicking on the buttons below.
