Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Strider VR a new take on an omnidirectional treadmill for VR

Garrett Hulfish
By
StriderVR: Die Virtual-Reality-Laufmaschine in Aktion
As soon as there were virtual reality headsets, people began developing ways to move within these new worlds. Previous attempts focused on low-friction movement, with players strapped into the experience. A new solution, Strider VR, slims down the design for a much freer experience.

To freely walk in a virtual world, Strider VR uses a rotating ball array layered over a traditional linear treadmill and a Microsoft Kinect 2 sensor. Most omnidirectional treadmills on the market allow the user to physically rotate a full 360 degrees. This movement can move the player away from the sensor. Strider VR’s system instead actively keeps the body facing forward toward the sensor. It does this by using two DC motors to generate rotational and linear displacement, keeping the user in the center of the platform. According to the developers, the result is a “near perfect illusion of walking in a virtual world.”

Recommended Videos

As a concept, combining full-body tracking and unrestricted walking still has its own set of drawbacks. As Road to VR points out, the big hurdle is interpreting the virtual movement. This system has to provide responsive virtual movement based on a person’s stride without misinterpreting the recentering movements as inputs. Another drawback of the design is that movement is limited to walking. The corrective motors can’t keep up with the running, strafing, or quick turns that might come with a first person shooter. Additionally, multiple side-steps are not possible.

Related

Based on the footage above, the user appears to be walking cautiously, especially when changing direction. This causes the tracking accuracy of the feet to appear shaky. Additional footage, however, shows that more confident strides are a possibility.

While omnidirectional VR treadmills have yet to gain much traction among consumers, it appears they have become more relevant at the commercial level. The Virtuix Omni has already found success in this space and it appears that Pathbender is heading in the same direction. It remains to be seen whether or not Strider’s motorized platform offers benefits above the low-friction surfaces of its competitors.

Strider VR is currently available as a development kit from German company Pathbender.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Garrett Hulfish
Garrett Hulfish
Contributor
Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…
High on Life takes surprising design cues from Metroid Prime
A player battles Krubis in Light on Life.

As I was sitting down to play the final demo of High on Life, Chief Creative Officer Mikey Spano said the magic word: Metroid.

Nintendo’s classic series was invoked in a simple way, as Spano explained that the upcoming comedy shooter has a gear-gating element to it that lets players unlock more of the world as they gain skills. Just 20 minutes into playing, I couldn’t help but notice that the connection was even stronger thanks to its unique first-person adventure components. I took my headphones off and turned back to Spano, asking if the game was taking design cues from 2002’s Metroid Prime. He lit up, seemingly excited that the DNA was clear.

Read more
What the Bat? is a sweet coming of age story (about having baseball bats for hands)
A character prepares to brush their teeth with a baseball bat in What the Bat?

VR is a powerful tool. When used right, it can give users a perspective that they’d never be able to experience otherwise. I’ll always remember the first time I played Eagle Flight, a game that let me see the world through the eyes of a bird. As an avid bird lover, it was an emotional moment that highlighted how VR could really change the way I view the world when at its best.

I felt that again this past weekend. Finally, VR allowed me to have an experience I’d simply never have otherwise: what it would be like to have baseball bats for hands.

Read more
A multiplayer Ghostbusters VR game is coming to PlayStation VR 2 and Meta Quest 2
Key art for Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord.

Sony Pictures Virtual Reality has a surprise treat for Ghostbusters fans this Halloween. Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord is coming to Meta Quest 2 and PlayStation VR2 in 2023.

Made by U.K.-based VR developer nDreams and announced at the Meta Quest Game showcase in April 2022, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord introduces a new diverse cast of characters starting their careers running the iconic paranormal business in San Francisco. Their jobs are far from easy, especially when they're going up against the titular Ghost Lord and his ghostly minions spreading chaos and discord throughout the city.

Read more