The Virtuix Omni virtual reality Treadmill Kickstarter campaign is due to start in May following successful testing at SXSW in Austin. This Virtuix Omni is a passive omnidirectional treadmill that looks like it could fill one of the last major missing pieces of the VR puzzle.
Oculus VR Inc. founder Palmer Lucky will be officially endorsing the VR treadmill in the forthcoming Kickstarter campaign. Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk said in an interview with 3D Focus, "Palmer and others (Chris Roberts, Paul Bettner) tried the Omni at SXSW in Austin this past March and fgreatly enoyed it. We were allowed to film our demo night for Kickstarter, so we'll have some fun footage to share."
This is not only a step for virtual reality, but for exer-gaming as well. This application will allow players to walk, run and jump through all their favourite games in real time, so instead of using the toggles or pressing a button and running halfway across the country in-game, players will have to physically walk and run everywhere in real time to move their character in-game.
No price has been set as of yet for the device, however the aim is to make it affordable for the everyday gamer.
Below is a demo video which shows the range of movements possible using the treadmill which include walking, running, jumping, jogging, turning, and sidestepping; courtesy of Road To VR:
