The Virtuix Omni is a passive omnidirectional treadmill that looks like it could fill one of the last major missing pieces of the VR puzzle. The Omni, which is soon to hit Kickstarter, allows players to walk, jump, and literally sprint inside of their favorite games. Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk tells me he thinks his company has “cracked the formula” for a consumer omnidirectional treadmill that will have players more immersed than ever before.

I will admit, I was absolutely impressed when I saw that the Omni will allow players to actually sprint inside of their favorite games:

For a long time I’ve been saying that an omni-directional VR treadmill will have major implications for games. It’s one thing to hold a thumb-stick or mouse button and have your character sprint at 20 MPH for hours on end. But when you are the one who has to do the sprinting, things change fast — everything from gameplay to game pacing is impacted by how quickly your character moves.

In a game like GTA IV (Rockstar North, 2008), you constantly run from one point to the next in a huge city. With a system where you actually need to run to run, game developers had better expect a lot more walking. Suddenly those blocky pedestrians will need to high quality assets to stand up to the scrutiny of a player strolling by down the sidwalk. In a virtual world where the player really has to walk and run, maybe an entire city isn’t the best environment. Perhaps a single, high detailed, city block would be better suited to the medium.

If the Omni succeeds in its mission it will take VR gaming to a new level of immersion.

Imagine a terrifying game like Slender: The Arrival (Parsec Productions, 2013) wherein you are pursued in a dark forest by a terrifying daemon and the only way to survive is to run for your life. With a keyboard, you simply hold the ‘W’ key to sprint away from that nightmare. With a VR treadmill like the Virtuix Omni, you won’t just sprint at one set speed — you’ll have to actually run for your life. As I imagine this scenario in my head (playing Slender with the Omni, Oculus Rift, and Razer Hydra) I can almost feel the terror coursing through me. Mark my words, people are going to be screaming and sprinting for their lives, anxiously peering behind them to see if they’ve gotten away. I’ll be the first in line.

Coming to Kickstarter, Endorsed by Palmer Luckey

As reported by 3D Focus, Oculus VR Inc founder Palmer Luckey will be officially endorsing endorsing the Virtuix Omni in the forthcoming Omni Kickstarter campaign which is expected in May.

“Palmer and others (Chris Roberts, Paul Bettner) tried the Omni at SXSW in Austin this past March and greatly enjoyed it.  We were allowed to film our demo night for Kickstarter, so we’ll have some fun footage to share.  Palmer is endorsing the Omni for our Kickstarter campaign,” Goetgeluk told 3D Focus.

Be sure to read the rest of the 3D Focus Virtuix Omni interview.

Virtuix is in the process of filming and editing their Kickstarter video materials. The Omni price has not been announced but the obvious aim to is to make it affordable for your everyday gamer.

Virtuix Omni and the Oculus Rift

Palmer Luckey (Oculus VR) and Jan Goetgeluk (Virtuix Omni)

Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk recently picked up an Oculus Rift developer kit and tested it with the Omni for the first time.

“I tried the Rift with the Omni this morning, a magical experience… Walking around the Tuscany villa with the Omni must have been my strongest VR moment so far.  My brain started to believe I was in Italy…  VR users will want and need a natural interface to experience VR.  I am now more convinced than ever that the Omni will become a crucial part of VR,” he told me.

Thanks to the built-in headtracking and wide FoV, the Oculus Rift makes a natural companion for the Omni. Together they take care of two huge components of the VR puzzle. Along with the Razer Hydra or a similar system for 6DOF hand-input, the trifecta will comprise a highly immersive virtual reality system at a price that consumers can actually afford — the first time this has ever happened.

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A new video of the Virtuix Omni omnidirectional treadmill shows the latest prototype unit being used to play TF2 with the Oculus Rift. As expected, using your entire body to move inside of the game looks significantly more immersive than using a keyboard.

Ladies and gentlemen, you’re looking at the future of gaming.

See Also: Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Headed to Kickstarter: Walk, Jump, and Sprint in Virtual Reality

CEO of Virtuix, Jan Goetgeluk, told me about the TF2 experience that, “The action feels like real running. The immersion is intense. I had a former Marine try HL2 yesterday, and he was slightly shaking.”

At the moment the Virtuix Omni is using Kinect for tracking, but Goetgeluk say that the company is working on an integrated tracking solution that will be part of the Omni.

Actual running speed is not yet tied to in-game speed, according to Geotgeluk, but that will come in due time.

The post Latest Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Video Shows Intense TF2 Gameplay With Oculus Rift and New Prototype appeared first on Road To Virtual Reality.

The Virtuix Omni VR treadmill is headed to Kickstarter on June 4th. The company has released a new gameplay video showing the Omni in use with the Oculus Rift and Half-Life 2. Virtuix will be giving away a number of Omnis prior to the launch of the Kickstarter

Anyone who has been following our site or indeed has any passing interest in VR matters will be aware of the Virtuix Omni. It’s a unique omnidirectional treadmill that promises to let you walk, jump, and even run inside of your favorite games. It’s an intriguing prospect and one that many see as another piece in the puzzle of complete VR immersion. When complimented with other hardware, such as the Oculus Rift and a motion sensing peripheral like the Hydra, it allows you edge closer to that all-body interaction that VR enthusiasts crave.

New Gameplay Video Shows Virtuix Omni with Oculus Rift and Half Life 2

Here’s the latest gameplay video showing the Omni running with Nathan Andrews’ custom Half-Life 2 VR mod.

We’ve also seen the Omni played with Team Fortress 2, and how it even allows for sprinting!

Virtuix Omni Kickstarter, Endorsed by Palmer Luckey

As reported by 3D Focus, Oculus VR Inc founder Palmer Luckey will be officially endorsing endorsing the Virtuix Omni in the forthcoming Omni Kickstarter campaign which starts on June 4th.

“Palmer and others (Chris Roberts, Paul Bettner) tried the Omni at SXSW in Austin this past March and greatly enjoyed it.  We were allowed to film our demo night for Kickstarter, so we’ll have some fun footage to share.  Palmer is endorsing the Omni for our Kickstarter campaign,” CEO Jan Goetgeluk told 3D Focus.

Be sure to read the rest of the 3D Focus Virtuix Omni interview.

Win a Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill or See it for Yourself

Leading up to the Kickstarter, Virtuix is going to be giving away an Omni each day for three days prior to the Kickstarter launch date. Sign up for contest details here. And remember, an Omni-a-day keeps reality away!

If you’re in LA on May 29th, Virtuix will be demonstrating the Omni in the Venice Beach area at 7:30PM PST. It’s an invite-only even with limited space available. Sign up for an invite here.

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As we reportedly recently, the Virtuix Omni VR treadmill is heading to Kickstarter on June 4th. Building up to the Kickstarter the company starts the Virtuix Omni contest to give away three Omni’s — don’t miss your chance to enter!

You can enter by going to the Virtuix Omni contest page. Enter your email address, then share through either Facebook or Twitter. You have to share through one of the services for an entry, and you only get one entry per day. The contest starts at 12:01AM CT each day.

The contest runs June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. You’ve still go time to enter for today’s contest; don’t forget to enter again tomorrow as well!

A careful reading of the contest’s fine print gives us a clue about the Virtuix Omni price:

Virtuix at its sole discretion reserves the right to provide equivalent cash value of stated prize package not to exceed $600 per winner.

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill which is designed with VR gaming in mind. With it, you can walk, run, and jump in virtual reality. Learn more about how it works here. We’ve seen Team Fortress 2 (2007) and Half-Life 2 (2004) played with the Omni. Here is the Kickstarter ‘trailer’:

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The Virtuix Omni Kickstarter is now live. The Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill for virtual reality which promises to let you walk, run, and jump inside of your favorite games. Prices start at $245 for a DIY kit and go up from there — quite a bit cheaper than we had previously expected.

Virtuix Omni Kickstarter

“The Omni takes virtual reality to the next level— allowing anyone to stand up and traverse virtual worlds with the natural use of their own feet. The Omni is the first virtual reality interface for moving freely and naturally in your favorite game. Moving naturally in virtual reality creates an unprecedented sense of immersion that cannot be experienced sitting down. That’s why we developed the Omni,” reads the Kickstarter page.

The Omni is being offered starting at $249 for the DIY kit, which requires that you construct your own support bar (the arms and ring that hold up the user). “We will provide you with drawings and guidance, you do the rest,” says the ‘DIY Omni Early Bird’ tier. There are 50 such units available, then the price goes up to $299 for the standard DIY Omni.

The complete Virtuix Omni (fully put together and ready to play) starts at $349, followed by $399 after that tier sells out. Here’s a guide to the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter price to keep things straight:

There are some lower and higher tiers than what we have listed here, but this is the core of the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter. The company says that these prices are “significantly” lower than what the unit will cost at retail. Most Omni tiers have an expected delivery of January 2014 (about 6 and a half months from when the Kickstarter ends). A few of the high end tiers are offering custom or ptotoype Omnis which are expected earlier.

The Virtuix Omni Kickstarter goal is $150,000. If tiers were backed starting from the top of our list, Virtuix would need to sell 427 Omni’s to fund their campaign. That doesn’t include any of the lower or higher tiers.

Some new details from the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter not heard previously:

• Base is 48-inch (1.21 meter) in diameter
• Weight is 110 pounds (50kg)
• Support ring can be adjusted to support users from 4’8″ to 6’5″ (142cm – 195cm)
• The safety ring supports up to 285lbs (130kg)
• Shoe sizes are available up to men’s 15
• Support arms are detachable to allow for low-profile storage

How Well Does the Virtuix Omni Work?

A new video released in the Kickstarter shows Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk strolling around the world of Skyrim:

Virtuix says that the Omni will work with any game that uses keyboard input. The company is including software to map your motions on the Omni into input for your favorite games — it’ll even calculate calories burned. Battlefield 3, Half-Life 2, and Team Fortress 2 were among the games shown in the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter video.

According to Virtuix, the Omni will come with its own tracking hardware — a combination of accelerometers and magnetic tracking — which will be attached to each shoe. The Kinect is also supported by the Omni’s software, though it is optional.

While we haven’t tested the Virtuix Omni ourselves, Linus Tech Tips has a great overview of the device and share their thoughts after using the prototype Omni for the first time:

To learn more about how the Omni works, see this article.

The post Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Kickstarter is Live, Early Bird Prices Start at $249 appeared first on Road To Virtual Reality.

New Virtuix Omni gameplay videos have popped up, but first, a big congratulations to Virtuix who’s Omni Kickstarter blasted out of the gate yesterday morning and crushed its goal shortly thereafter. Now the only question left is: how high will it go?

At the time of writing (1:14AM EST), the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter has raised $460,912, more than 306% of its $150,000 goal. I’ve embedded an up-to-date widget below to keep track of the Kickstarter (it will have more accurate numbers by the time that you read this):

So far there are 1,205 backers with 1,062 Omni’s ordered. Someone even snatched up the $10,000+ ‘VR Champion tier’ shortly after the Kickstarter opened:

VR CHAMPION: Thank you – you make VR possible! No Omni in the world can be enough to thank you, so we will give you two: the first made custom wooden/steel Omni, in a design of your choosing, and the first made custom injection molded Omni, in colors and branding of your choosing. These units will be signed and serial numbered starting at 00001. Full option and all-in, including an office visit and dinner with the team – it would be our honor! Includes tracking hardware and software, up to 10 pairs of shoes, and up to 5 belts. (Let us know if you need more? Shipping and handling costs separate, see FAQ)

Virtuix will be demonstrating the Omni at E3 next week.

Will the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter surpass the Oculus Rift Kickstarter’s $2.4 million? Leave your bet in the comments!

New Virtuix Omni Gameplay Footage

We saw bits and pieces of them in the Kickstarter video, but here are the full Virtuix Omni gameplay videos. You can see that the Kinect tracking still needs some work; we’re hoping that Virtuix’s own tracking solution will perform better.

Virtuix Omni Left 4 Dead 2

Virtuix Omni Fallout New Vegas

Virtuix Omni COD Black Ops II

Virtuix Omni Battlefield 3

Virtuix Omni Arma 2

Virtuix Omni Half Life 2

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Two weeks prior to their now-successful Kickstarter, Virtuix brought the Omni VR treadmill to LA to show to a room full of VR enthusiasts. The full session has been posted online. In addition to seeing the Omni in action, you’ll see Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk and the venerable Simon Solotko answer questions about the omnidirectional treadmill and philosophize about VR.

Above you can see a summary video of the event. Below you can find the full event (1 hour and 23 minutes). I actually watched the whole thing — well worth it for the interesting Q&A.

Those following along in the VR space will recognize James Iliff and Nathan Burba, Producer and Director, respectively, of Project Holodeck. They stopped by the Virtuix Omni Live event to see it in person. I asked Iliff what he thought.

“The Omni is pretty cool! We are on the other side of the camp regarding the VR locomotion problem, but as far as omni-directional treadmills are concerned I think its a breakthrough solution.  We built Project Holodeck based around the idea that two or more players can intimately share a space together and physically / virtually interact with each other’s avatars.  Locomotion devices are inevitably isolating – which is why we haven’t favored it on our own game development.  But if you want to walk / run long distances in VR by yourself, the Omni is great for that,” Iliff told me.

He told me that the Omni is a breakthrough for omnidirectional treadmills, even outside of gaming.

“Outside games or entertainment, the Omni is an a big step forward in terms of omni-directional treadmills themselves – this is something scientists and engineers have been trying to work out for decades, and this new passive inexpensive solution should work great for many researchers as well.”

Project Holodeck was originally going to use a multi-Kinect system (four, to be exact) to track player movement in their platform, but found that the Kinect wasn’t suitable for their purpose; it works well for the Omni’s purpose though.

“The use of the Kinect (or an IR camera) with the Omni is a great example for what the Kinect is good for – being a gestural interface.  The Kinect isn’t animating the players’ avatar in real time, that would require much more precise tracking.  The Kinect is reading broad leg gestures and translating them into keyboard strokes, which is more like what the Kinect is designed to do.”

See All Virtuix Omni News

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A video has just been released demonstrating a new device offering gaming locomotion, i.e. translating the actions of walking into in-game actions. It’s called the Cyberith Virtualiser.

Unique Approaches

Not much is known about the device currently, but from the video demonstration it offers a unique approach to the problems of gaming treadmills. For one, unlike the recently Kickstarted Virtuix Omni, the waist support is articulated in the vertical axis, meaning actions like ducking and jumping are measured physically (as opposed to the Omni’s motion tracked approach).

The uploader of the video and engineer behind the project is cleearly aiming for a mass market device, to compete directly with the Virtuix Omni. The the comments section ‘Cyberith’ states:

Its still in the developing process, i cant tell you numbers now, but my goal is it to make it affordable for every gamer without losing quality

We’re trying to find more concrete details on the new device and will them once we have them.

The post The Cyberith Virtualiser – a New Virtual Reality Locomotion Device appeared first on Road To Virtual Reality.

A new Interview with Jan ‘Virtuix Omni’ Goetgeluk has appeared via the technology YouTube channel ‘Linus-TechTips’ with detailed shots of the Omni in use.

Close-Up with the Omni

The interview with Jan, who’s current, hugely successful Kickstarter Campaign current sits close to $900,000, has some nicely detailed closeups and slow-mo shots of the VR focussed locomotion treadmill in use.

The Virtuix Omni’s kickstarter still has 28 days left to run at the time of writing and has around 2500 backers.

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Virtuix has released a new video showing Minecraft being played on two Omni’s with the Oculus Rift. Will future LAN centers one day be filled with rows of Omnis?

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill made for virtual reality gaming. The device is in the midst of an already successful Kickstarter that is on it’s way to raising more than 1 million dollars.

Virtuix used the Minecrift mod to add unofficial Oculus Rift support to Minecraft. The CEO of Virtuix, Jan Goetgeluk, tells me that “Even though the Minecraft graphics seem unsuited for VR, the game is actually a blast with Rift + Omni.”

The Kinect-based tracking still looks iffy. Virtuix plans to ship the Omni with their own tracking solution that should be better suited for the task than the Kinect. Made-for-Omni games are likely to have more seamless implementation of player movement.

See All Virtuix Omni News

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The Virtuix Omni Kickstarter launched back at the beginning of June and is now 5 days from completion. The project recently crossed the $1 million mark (congrats!). As the Kickstarter for this omni-directional VR treadmill comes to a close, Virtuix has announced the retail price for the Omni and a last-minute stretch goal for an exclusive Omni game called TRAVR. We also have a brief Q&A with Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk about the future of the VR treadmill.

Virtuix Omni Game: TRAVR

The Virtuix Omni Kickstarter is just shy of $1.05 million as I write. The company has announced a stretch goal for $1.1 million which will help fund an Omni exclusive game called TRAVR (pronounce Trevor). Virtuix says that it will be “the first (mini) game made specifically for the Omni!”

“TRAVR is a totally immersive, open-source demo and Omni trainer utilizing the Omni SDK for motion control. You will be TRAVR, a futuristic VR adventurer who was been transported to an ancient planet. You must escape this hostile world in a limited time by finding a remote gate and utilizing a range of motion and control tactics. TRAVR combines real-time pressure of an arcade game with the immersion of the Oculus Rift, motion controllers, and the Omni.

TRAVR demonstrates the game dynamics of free move/aim/look with analog player direction and speed when using the Virtuix Omni. This demo will be designed to help developers integrate the Omni into upcoming VR titles using the most dynamic and compelling motion and control modes available today. This mini-game will be a test bed for innovative movement paradigms and will demonstrate coding methodologies. Most importantly, this game will be made for you, our backers, and we will listen to your input regarding elements you would like to see incorporated into the game.

Virtuix TRAVR will solve several problems including training new users in VR on the Omni, stretching the limits of immersive VR gameplay, and demonstrating how the Omni SDK can create innovative gameplay modes easily adopted by developers. TRAVR will be built in UDK and will be available with the release of the Omni,” writes Virtuix in their most recent Kickstarter update.

The two screenshots included in this article are the first glimpses the Virtuix has shown of the game.

Virtuix Omni Retail Price Announced

Virtuix has also just announced the retail price of the Omni — post Kickstarter it will be $499. This means there’s good reason to back the Kickstarter: the $429 tier will save you $70 off the retail price and you’ll help them meet their stretch goal! Post Kickstarter, you’ll be able to order the Omni through the official Virtuix website.

Early birds who jumped on the Kickstarter right away were able to get the complete Omni for $349 — unfortunately all of those slots have since been filled!

Q&A With CEO Jan Goetgeluk

Goetgeluk: I always believed that the Omni would appeal to a large audience, but our current Kickstarter success certainly matches my wildest expectations.  We are incredibly grateful for the support of our backers, and excited that we are now able to make the Omni a reality.

Goetgeluk: We were excited to see the success of the Omni Matrix [a set of four Omnis] and the Duel Omni [a set of two Omnis], as well as our high end reward tiers which are all sold out. As a geographical fun fact: the city with the most backers is not US based, but is London. The second city with most backers in Europe is Oslo.

Goetgeluk: We are already working hard on getting the Omni manufactured. I have two China trips lined up in the next 2 months. We also started the production of our Priority Prototypes, so we are well on track to deliver these units on time.

Goetgeluk: Not yet. After our Kickstarter, the Omni will be available for pre-order on our website for $499, so our Kickstarter backers are certainly getting a good deal. We will assess our long-term retail and distribution options in the next couple of months.

…even Dreamworks bought an Omni.

Goetgeluk: We certainly received a lot of inquiries from research institutes, especially for the Priority Prototype. We also sold quite some units to corporations: military contractors, fitness companies, arcades, … even Dreamworks bought an Omni.

Goetgeluk: Physical therapy has turned out to be a highly interested market.  Exercise is drudgery for many people, so making exercise more engaging is appealing for physical therapists and other healthcare professionals.

Goetgeluk: I found our Multiplayer Minecraft demo the best experience so far, because it illustrates the incredible potential of VR: meeting up with different people around the world in the same virtual world, and going on an adventure together. Multiplayer VR with the Omni is a game changer.

We have made substantial progress in the last few weeks refining our SDK architecture. Our API will provide game developers with analog motion direction (including strafing, backwards walking, jumping), analog walking speed, and foot position.

When we started this Kickstarter, we were in advanced stages of using accelerometers / magnetometers in the shoes, which is a great and low-cost solution that has been proven to work. Since our Kickstarter success, the world has opened to us, and other companies have reached out to us with alternative tracking solutions that might be even better than accelerometers in the shoes. We are currently evaluating two alternatives, and it looks like the final decision will not be buttoned up by the close of the Kickstarter. Whatever solution we choose, we guarantee that it will deliver a great VR experience that supports our outlined SDK functionality.

Goetgeluk also held an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit yesterday about the Omni where you’ll find even more answers to fan questions.

See All Virtuix Omni News

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After a highly successful Kickstarter that raised $1.1 million, the Virtuix Omni is now available for direct pre-order from the official website, along with accessories. Through August 13th you can use a coupon to get $50 off the Omni or Duel Omni package.

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill for VR gaming which allows players to walk, run, and jump in any direction.

Those who missed the Virtuix Omni Kickstarter can now directly pre-order the VR treadmill starting at $499. Virtuix notes that “Delivery of the pre-order Omnis will start after delivery of the Kickstarter units (estimated March 2014 and beyond).”

Through August 13th you can use coupon code ‘VR50′ to take $50 off of the standard Omni or Duel Omni package

Accessories are are available: Omni Rack ($79), extra harnesses ($79), and extra shoes ($49).

Virtuix Omni Heading to PAX

Virtuix has also announced that the Omni will come to PAX Prime in Seattle on August 30 – September 2.  The Omni will be in Zone 2 (Level 6 Expo Floor).

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Virtuix and Sixense will be at this weekend’s Pax Prime in Seattle to demonstrate what they’re calling the “ultimate virtual reality experience,” a platform consisting of the Virtuix Omni, Sixense STEM, and the Oculus Rift.

Today marks the start of Pax Prime 2013, one of the biggest gaming conventions, held in Seattle Washington. Virtuix and Sixense are attending and they’re going to let attendees step into their virtual reality setup, a combination of the perhaps the three most exciting VR peripherals to date.

PAX Prime attendees can find the VR setup at the Virtuix Omni booth (#6210, zone 2, level 6) from the 30th of August to September 2nd, 10am – 6pm.

This bit of teamwork also give us a hint that Virtuix might use the Sixense STEM as their thus far unannounced tracking system which will enable the Omni to detect players walking and running.

There’s no word on what demos they’ll use the system with at PAX Prime, though we might see an early build of TRAVR, a game in the works by Virtuix that’s designed to show off the Omni’s capabilities, and to help developers learn how to build support for their games. Oculus VR Inc will also be at PAX Prime 2013… maybe they’ll lend the fine folks from Virtuix and Sixense one of the Oculus Rift HD prototypes?

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill that was successfully funded on Kickstrater at the end of July after raising $1.1 million. It allows players to walk, run, and jump in virtual reality. The earliest production Omnis are expected to be delivered in January.

The Sixense STEM is a forthcoming motion controller system which supersedes the Razer Hydra. STEM will have two wireless motion controllers and support up to three additional tracking points which can be used to track a players feet and hands, or be attached to peripherals. Sixense will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for STEM on September 12th.

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Though we’ve been covering the Virtuix Omni since the beginning, I never got a chance to slip on the shoes and try it for myself. Last weekend I finally got that opportunity and also spoke with Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk to get the latest on the omnidirectional VR treadmill.

For those just joining us (welcome!), the Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional VR treadmill—a passive unit with no moving parts that enables a player to walk, run, and jump in any direction. Virtuix raised money to produce the Omni with a spectacularly successful Kickstarter back in June that raised $1.1 million dollars; 739% of the $150,000 goal.

See All Virtuix Omni News

I met up with the Virtuix crew at Engadget Expand NY 2013 last weekend to finally try out the Omni for myself.

Currently, Virtuix is using a Kinect to do rudimentary leg tracking on the Omni. There’s no variable movement speed, no independent look/walk direction, and then there’s the sloppy tracking that Kinect is known for. The Kinect is soon to be discarded in favor of Virtuix’s own custom capacitive tracking solution, which the company says will fix all of the aforementioned Kinect woes. Developers will be able to see where your feet are, how fast they’re moving, and in what direction.

Assuming that’s all going to work, all I needed to know was whether or not the locomotion really worked… and I’m happy to report that it does.

It takes a few minutes of training to understand how to walk on the Omni, but once it clicks, you’re ready to start running around virtual worlds.

I’m extremely excited for omnidirectional treadmills like the Omni. It’s one thing to sit in your chair with an HMD and have it look like you’re in a virtual space. It’s another thing to sprint full speed toward an enemy with virtual guns ablazing.

That’s actually the first thing I did as I tried the Omni. Pulse Rifle in hand, I sprinted right toward my first foe in Half-Life 2 (2005) and gunned him down; it was quite satisfying. Combining the emotional intensity of gaming with physical intensity will be huge for immersion (and exercise).

The Kinect tracking did make things feel goofy in the game due to its limited implementation; detecting small movements is not its forte. I’m withholding judgment on the tracking aspect until we see Virtuix’s proper capacitive foot tracking. For now I’m happy to know that the walking and running motions work.

And for those wondering, yes, it is a workout! In modern shooters today, players cover probably tens if not hundreds of miles on foot over the course of a campaign. With the Virtuix Omni, you’ll be walking each step with your character! Seriously though… Omni game developers will need to design carefully so that the player isn’t expected to have the endurance of a professional marathon runner.

The Omni is ripe with potential for the gamification of exercise and I’m looking forward to going on virtual hikes around the world from the comfort of my home.

“We Sell Omnis Every Day…”

Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk, told me in our interview (above) that people are pre-ordering Omnis every day through Virtuix’s website (3:39). For a fairly expensive and niche product, that was quite surprising to me. But I’m glad to hear it, a strong developer community will be needed if the omnidirectional treadmill is going to secure its place as a staple of VR gaming.

As with many Kickstarter projects, Virtuix has experience some schedule slippage. Goetgeluk told me that while all minor Kickstarter rewards have been shipped (except the mini-Omni), the earliest shipments of the Omni itself have moved from January to March–April (1:51).

TraVR is a game currently in development by Virtuix which will run on the Oculus Rift alone or with the Oculus Rift and the Omni. Goetgeluk told me that the game is coming along well and actually thinks that “it will be among the top games made for the Rift in general,” sounds ambitious (2:04)! Goetgeluk also mentioned that they plan to bring some new demo videos showing the Omni in use with Battlefield 4 and/or Call of Duty: Ghosts… hopefully with the new capacitive tracking.

The post Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Hands-on and Interview with CEO Jan Goetgeluk [video] appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

Virtuix Omni, the forthcoming VR omnidirectional treadmill, will be making an appearance on ABC’s popular venture capital reality show, Shark Tank.

For those who haven’t seen the show, Shark Tank puts entrepreneurs in front of a panel of wealthy investors in the hopes that they’ll be able to make an on-the-spot investment deal.

In a surprise to us, the Virtuix Omni will make an appearance on the show next Friday, December 6th.

In a preview of the forthcoming episode shown at the end of last week’s episode, we see Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk and what appears to be investor Robert Herjavec in the Omni donning the Oculus Rift and that ever-flattering harness:

Virtuix appears to have been completely silent about their involvement with the show (likely due to an NDA) so we won’t know if they made a deal or not until the episode airs next Friday, December 6th at 9PM EST.

Last week I had a chance to meet up with Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk and try out the Omni for myself.

What we can infer thus far is that the system shown above is the pre-production Omni prototype which is still using the Kinect for leg tracking. Virtuix says that their forthcoming capacitive tracking system will significantly increase tracking quality. One other thing is certain: assuming nothing goes terribly wrong, this is a great step for VR into mainstream consciousness.

Virtuix has thus far raised funding for Omni production through its highly successful Kickstarter, which raised $1.1 million, and is now offering pre-orders through its website.

Will the Sharks be able to see through the Kinect’s sloppy tracking? Do you think Virtuix walked away with an investment?

The post Virtuix Omni Heading to Shark Tank Investment Reality Show Next Friday appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

Today is the last day to get in on the Virtuix Omni cyber weekend sale. Through 11:59PM PST tonight you can save $70 on a Virtuix Omni pre-order.

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional VR treadmill—a passive unit with no moving parts that enables a player to walk, run, and jump in any direction. Virtuix raised money to produce the Omni with a spectacularly successful Kickstarter back in June that raised $1.1 million dollars; 739% of the $150,000 goal.

Virtuix has joining in the Black Friday / Cyber Monday craze and offered a $70 deal on a Virtux Omni pre-order which is now expected to ship in May 2014. The deal brings the price down to $429.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to try out the Virtux Omni for myself and catch up with CEO Jan Goetgeluk to hear the latest on this interesting product.

Virtuix’s “Cyber Weekend” deal is good until 11:59 PST tonight (December 2nd). Get it here!

See All Virtuix Omni News

See Also:

• The Steam Autumn Sale Virtual Reality Special – Get Your VR Cheap
• Sixense STEM Black Friday Sale
• Virtuix Omni Heading to Shark Tank Investment Reality Show Next Friday

The post Virtuix Omni Cyber Monday Sale—Save $70 on the Omnidirectional VR Treadmill appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

A friendly reminder for those with cable TV: tonight the Virtuix Omni omnidirectional treadmill for VR gaming will be on Shark Tank, a venture capital reality show.

The Shark Tank Virtuix Omni episode airs tonight, December 6th, at 9PM EST (8PM CST / 7PM MST / 6PM PST) on ABC. You can watch Shark Tank live online on ABC, provided you have a participating cable provider, if you aren’t near a TV. If you miss the episode, you should be able to catch the episode on the Hulu Shark Tank page sometime after it airs.

See All Virtuix Omni News

Here are the details from our previous article:

Virtuix Omni, the forthcoming VR omnidirectional treadmill, will be making an appearance on ABC’s popular venture capital reality show, Shark Tank.

For those who haven’t seen the show, Shark Tank puts entrepreneurs in front of a panel of wealthy investors in the hopes that they’ll be able to make an on-the-spot investment deal.

In a surprise to us, the Virtuix Omni will make an appearance on the show next Friday, December 6th.

In a preview of the forthcoming episode shown at the end of last week’s episode, we see Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk and what appears to be investor Robert Herjavec in the Omni donning the Oculus Rift and that ever-flattering harness:

Virtuix appears to have been completely silent about their involvement with the show (likely due to an NDA) so we won’t know if they made a deal or not until the episode airs next Friday, December 6th at 9PM EST.

Last week I had a chance to meet up with Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk and try out the Omni for myself.

What we can infer thus far is that the system shown above is the pre-production Omni prototype which is still using the Kinect for leg tracking. Virtuix says that their forthcoming capacitive tracking system will significantly increase tracking quality. One other thing is certain: assuming nothing goes terribly wrong, this is a great step for VR into mainstream consciousness.

Virtuix has thus far raised funding for Omni production through its highly successful Kickstarter, which raised $1.1 million, and is now offering pre-orders through its website.

Will the Sharks be able to see through the Kinect’s sloppy tracking? Do you think Virtuix walked away with an investment?

The post Reminder: Virtuix Omni VR Treadmill Airs on Shark Tank Investment Reality Show Tonight at 9PM EST appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

Earlier this month, Virtuix Omni, the omnidirectional VR treadmill, was shown to a national (U.S.) audience when featured on the venture investment reality show Shark Tank. Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk shares inside details about the experience with Road to VR.

After watching the Shark Tank segment featuring the Virtuix Omni, with a healthy realization that ‘reality TV’ is generally anything but, we had some questions for Virtuix CEO Jan Goetgeluk to get this thoughts on the outcome:

Road to VR: How did the Omni end up on Shark Tank?  When was the segment recorded?

Goetgeluk: I applied for SharkTank in the spring through a quick email submission and, a few months later, received an email stating that Virtuix had been selected to continue to the next round. However, that round required filling out lots of paperwork and preparing a short video. I re-evaluated our participation and decided not to apply, taking into consideration that we were a serious and visible company with an established community (through Kickstarter), and ultimately not the right fit for a reality TV show.

After letting the deadline expire without sending in the paperwork, I received a phone call from a producer who expressed deep disappointment that we had not applied and urged us to reconsider. At that point, I realized this was a good opportunity that should not be ignored. I filled out the paperwork and made a video in a matter of days, and submitted our application. We got approved and in September of this year we traveled to LA for the taping of the show.

Road to VR: Why was the Oculus Rift logo taped over?

Goetgeluk: Oculus had to sign a standard IP release form to allow the producers to show the logo on TV; unfortunately, Oculus was not able to get the paperwork signed in time.

Road to VR: Did you notice any major edits to what happened compared to what made it into the final cut?

Goetgeluk: We were in front of the sharks for 45 minutes and had a great and upbeat discussion about the Omni and virtual reality. Those 45 minutes were reduced to 6 minutes of reality TV.  My response after each shark’s “I’m out” was a confident “certainly, no problem”; however, that was replaced by some dramatic looks and close-ups, ha. I think SharkTank is a great television show and we had a great experience.

That said, I hope our following and the VR community understands that what you see on TV is not necessarily what happened in the Tank. I had great counter arguments to all the remarks the sharks made, and they even agreed to my arguments; however, that was left out of our segment for the sake of drama and emotion. No problem with that, I appreciate good TV, and that’s what we signed up for.

Road to VR: How did you feel about not landing a deal with the Sharks?

Goetgeluk: That was perfectly fine. We were never the right fit for this type of investors, and had no intentions to believe so. We went in, showed a great Omni demo, had a good discussion, and left. Mission accomplished. I believe our appearance brought VR one step closer to becoming a mainstream medium. The Rift came out nice, too.

Road to VR: What did you think about the Sharks’ reasons for not supporting the Omni?

Goetgeluk: Their reasons were flawed. The main argument was that gamers are lazy and don’t want to exercise. That is untrue. Many gamers do like to be healthy and in shape. We have many gamers come up to us at tradeshows to express how excited they are to finally be able to exercise and burn calories while gaming with the Omni.

One shark’s argument was that no one wants the Omni in their homes. Well, the Omni is smaller than a regular treadmill, and many people have treadmills in their homes. The Omni is also easy to disassemble and store away; you can take the top part off and put the Omni aside, just like exercise equipment.

Finally, the Guitar Hero and Rockband products took up a lot of space too, with those drum kits, however close to 40 million units have been sold worldwide. Space is not an issue for products that are fun, functional and aesthetically pleasing. Bottom line: the Omni is an incredibly fun and immersive experience that takes gaming to the next level, and you stay in shape while having fun. That is a great value proposition that appeals to a broad audience.

Road to VR: Did you see any new interest in the Omni from the publicity that came with being on the show?

Goetgeluk: Yes, our sales are booming, and our inboxes are flooding. Our daily pre-orders have quadrupled since the show. The marketing and publicity of our appearance has proven invaluable.

Road to VR: What’s the latest on Omni production? (have you tested the capacitive tracking prototype yet?)

Goetgeluk: Everything is on track and working well. We might have more to show at CES!

The post Q&A: Virtuix CEO Shares Inside Details of the Shark Tank Experience After Omni Pitch appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

Virtuix Omni at GDC 2014

After initially shunning the product during an appearance on ABC’s investment reality show, Shark Tank, billionaire investor Mark Cuban joins other venture capitalists in raising $3 million in seed funding for the Virtuix Omni VR treadmill.

A few months back, the Virtuix Omni was featured on ABC’s investment reality show, Shark Tank (Season 5, Episode 11). CEO Jan Goetgeluk pitched the omnidirectional VR treadmill to a panel of wealthy investors, including Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Goetgeluk approached the investors seeking $2 million for a 10% stake in the company but didn’t land a deal.

Cuban, who reasoned on the show that the product was too reliant on the Oculus Rift, seems to have changed his mind. Today, Virtuix has announced that the company has raised $3 million from a number of investment firms, including Cuban’s Radical Investments. I’ve got a good feeling that the $2 billion Facebook/Oculus buyout had something to do with the reversal.

See Also: Q&A: Virtuix CEO Shares Inside Details of the Shark Tank Experience After Omni Pitch

The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill for VR gaming. Virtuix didn’t invent the idea of the VR treadmill, but they designed a passive solution that represents the first affordable commercial version of such a device.

The $3 million seed round, which will help the company expand production and distribution of the Omni, includes investments from Partech (Tekton Ventures), Maveron, Scetan Ventures, Scout Ventures, StartCaps Ventures, a group of private investors, and Cuban’s Radical Investments. Virtuix says that Tekton and Maveron made bulk of the investment. The terms of the deal were not announced.

The Virtuix Omni started its journey on Kickstarter where it blasted through the $150,000 goal to raise $1.1 million. The Omni can be pre-ordered from Virtuix for $499. The first Kickstater units are expected to be delivered in July with pre-order units coming later in the summer. The company says it has sold more than 3,000 units thus far.

The post Billionaire ‘Shark Tank’ Investor Mark Cuban Flip-flops on Virtuix Omni, Joins $3 Million Investment appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.

The darling of virtual reality enthusiasts right now, Untold Games’ Loading Human, is a first person adventure which is attempting to pave the way for compelling human interaction within virtual spaces. Its ambition we spoke about recently, as well as the game’s recent very attractive transition to Unreal Engine 4.

The Kickstarter campaign for the new title actually passed its $30k goal a couple of weeks back, but the team have just announced that, in addition to Oculus Rift, Sixense STEM and Razer Hydra support, backers of the game can also look forward to Virtuix Omni support too. It’s an enviable line up of supported hardware for sure, although I do worry that such a small team might struggle to find time to implement them all with the finesse demonstrated by their current user interfaces. We should find out for sure February 2015 when the early access backer tiers gain access to the game.

Focus on Storytelling

One of the problems with creating a setting for Loading Human is forming a believable universe in which to immerse the player. Countless games have hashed and re-hashed various Sci-Fi tropes over decades of gaming leaving a tough task for those wishing to be truly original in the space.

The Loading Human team are acutely aware of this and released a video to explain their approach to the storytelling challenge.

It’s a UNICs System!

As mentioned, Loading Human is positioning itself as somewhat of a game changer for virtual reality gaming. As we all know, human interaction with these virtual game worlds will be the key to user enjoyment. No matter how good your VR Headset might be at achieving a sense of presence, you still have to get things done in VR and a frustrating interface could be immersion breaking in the extreme.

To this end, Untold Games have released a short video describing their methodology behind their implementation of an ‘invisible’ interface. Using cues provided by the animation applied to your in-game hands, objects held and what you can do with them should be seamlessly and invisibly (i.e. no text required) communicated to the player. UNICS (Untold Natural Interaction & Communication System) is the cheeky monicker they’ve assigned this system, take a look at it in action.

We’ll keep you up to date  on Loading Human’s progress and don’t forget, you still have 3 days left to back the project here.

The post News Bits: Loading Human Kickstarter Passes Goal, Announces Omni Support with 3 Days Left appeared first on Road to Virtual Reality.