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Whereas in a natural gait, each foot moves parallel to the line of travel.
See 2:10 of the video for how the shoes fit into the grooves using plunger pins, and how they move on the platform.
The "aha" moment for me, as an outsider to this industry, is using a special shoe to reduce friction and increase lateral stability versus only focusing on developing a 3D treadmill itself.
Also they didn't show if it's comfortable to run backwards - a critical move in any first person game.
I see that X, the Y of Z is still going strong as an elevator pitch. What's wrong with "Omni: a 3D Treadmill"?
Because people would ask; "Why do I need a 3d treadmill? I am perfectly happy running in a 2d line." It is not immediately obvious what it is for. I think it would have make a lot more sense to say "Omni 3d Treadmill: The perfect complement for the Oculus Rift."
But life isn't a tastefulness contest. I suck at it. (And I'd suck if it was).
Ugh. This will eventually destroy my knees or hips someday. It's bad enough that I go running an hour every other day. I just can't imagine doing that for 6 to 8 hours. Although, I think this will be awesome for out of shape people who love games. Might be the thing we need to goad these people into shape!
Most of the problems associated with running come from the unforgiving impact of your foot on the ground (often a hard surface). Devices like this and other treadmills are much better if you have joint problems.
But there's one very important catch: The "special shoes" are not an option for people with unusual orthotics requirements (e.g. me), because they're not going to be able to make shoes suitable for everybody.
They have to create soles that can be strapped on to our existing shoes.
The "aha" moment for me, as an outsider to this industry, is using a special shoe to reduce friction and increase lateral stability versus only focusing on developing a 3D treadmill itself.
Doesn't it push your feet towards the middle since grooves in are radial?
This is a great solution to the problem, and I'm really excited about it. But there's one very important catch: The "special shoes" are not an option for people with unusual orthotics requirements (e.g. me), because they're not going to be able to make shoes suitable for everybody. They have to create soles that can be strapped on to our existing shoes.