Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

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3dvison
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by 3dvison »

A good slick surface with high wear is Formica laminate. You can buy a sheet at a Lowes/Home Depot ect.
With that as the bottom surface of the treadmill, it would be easier to fine tune what you want to use on the bottom of the shoes for just the right amount of friction.
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AllOfTheApples!
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by AllOfTheApples! »

3dvison wrote:A good slick surface with high wear is Formica laminate. You can buy a sheet at a Lowes/Home Depot ect.
With that as the bottom surface of the treadmill, it would be easier to fine tune what you want to use on the bottom of the shoes for just the right amount of friction.
Oh that sucks, My Home Depot doesn't have it and the Lowes closed recently :P
definitely a good idea though! I at one point was looking into a thin dry Teflon coating, but that didn't pan out due both the application (spray) and to the steel dish not working out. I do like the idea of the carpet and shoes paired with some wall mounted elastic restraints. No portability (though important, not necessary,) but gains being cheap and effective.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by 3dvison »

Yup, Formica and Teflon make a great pair. You can move mountains with it.
First found out about it, when building a large Dobsonian telescope. Formica and Teflon is what is used for the bearings of the telescopes mount..
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by mickman »

Does your base have grooves ?

From what I see in the video there are no grooves... so how does it feel running ?

do your feet slide sideways ?

The formica laminate is a good idea.. Time to start making my shopping list.

It wil be interesting exactly how cheap one of these can be built for. I hope to salvage timber etc..

Let the competition begin..... create the cheapest & effective V.R walker.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by Okta »

I really want to know exactly what/how the Omni sensors work. This is a vital part and if its cool, a clone should be set up to suit.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by foisi »

I was wondering if maintaining the user's heading in place with some sort of elastic (so the cables can stay behind and not tangle after a few rotations) was an immersion breaker. After all the omni-like devices trick the perception of body translation with the visual movement in the headset, do you think it can do as well with rotation ?
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by Shannonb1 »

Look like your walking area is a little small, other then that I love the idea of the furniture movers. You can also make plastic molds to go onto the bottom of shoes, pretty easy to make.

Im thinking an old satelite dish would be a sturdy starting point but I would follow your lead in the fabric. Good show.

Did you do any research on the slickest carpet - slider combo?
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

I have a similar set up to this.

I strapped an iPod to my shin and use the accelerometer to send UDP traffic to my PC. I only have forward movement so far, but other than that - works great!

PM me for a link to the code. I don't want to distribute it widely just yet.

If there is significant demand for an android version, I'll do one for that platform as well.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Here is how I'm going to do my DIY omni basically 3 or 4 MDF boards nailed/glued together with circles cut out, and then I'll lower a plastic carpet cover over it which I'll soften with heat.

I'll sand the edges out as much as possible, but rely on the plastic cover for complete smooth.

Any folds that develop will be fine as they should restrict lateral movement.

The plastic cover is very low friction. I'll just wear socks.

http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/44881100/

I have a harness that hangs from the ceiling for safety. It cost me about $10 bux total, but probably another 30$ for a real safety harness.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by Benjimoron »

brantlew wrote:
AllOfTheApples! wrote:At this point I would almost pay someone to make me a simple (walking is forward [no strafing necessary], jump is jump, crouch is crouch) driver, but I fear it's probably a difficult enough task that It would take a considerable amount of money.
FYI software guys - here's a hint. A basic pedometer motion algorithm using inertial sensors is really easy to create. You can even do it in FreePIE script. Pick your favorite 3-axis accelerometer (ie. iPhone, Hillcrest) Then just compare the composite acceleration vector against a motion threshold and you're done! Something like this...

Code: Select all

accel = sqrt(accel_x^2 + accel_y^2 + accel_z^2);  // always positive and orientation independent
saccel = smooth(accel, SMOOTH_DURATION);         // simple box filter to elliminate noise
if (saccel > MOTION_THRESHHOLD)
    moving = true;                                               // press the 'W' key
else
    moving = false;
end
There is a bit of trial and error to find the right constants and a LOT more finesse if you want to detect different types of motion or speeds but for basic detection this works pretty easily and is compatible with different devices including walking-in-place, Wizdish, Omni, etc...
Hi Brantlew,

I'm looking for something like this at the moment. Please take a look at my thread and see if you think your code would do what I want. If so would you be able to write some simple steps for me? ie do I just need to copy/paste this into Glovepie or is there more to it than that?

Thanks.


http://www.mtbs3d.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=139&t=17771
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

3dvison wrote:A good slick surface with high wear is Formica laminate. You can buy a sheet at a Lowes/Home Depot ect.
With that as the bottom surface of the treadmill, it would be easier to fine tune what you want to use on the bottom of the shoes for just the right amount of friction.
Hmm, this is a good idea. May use this instead of my plastic cover. Can cut it into the right shapes, etc.

Another idea is to use some kind of filler with my setup in order to create a nice smooth dish. One idea was to use wood filler, my thought is to use tile mortar.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by 3dvison »

One note on the Formica laminate.
You want the Formica that has a matte look to it, because that Formica has a slight micro pitting/bumpy surface to it, which is what makes for the smoothest slide with the teflon/carpet movers or whatever you use.
The reason you do not want the shiny/slick Formica, is because it does not have the little micro texture to it, and because of that, you get 100% contact between the Formica and the Teflon/Carpet slider which makes for more friction. Almost a static electric type of friction which may not be consistent from use to use. The matte Formica gives you a more predictable and consistent slide.

This is what I learned from making big telescopes, but maybe you will want a little more friction in this case. But I would still go with the Matte Formica and get more friction by using something other than Teflon/Carpet sliders for those parts of the shoe where more friction is needed.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by AllOfTheApples! »

Okta wrote:I really want to know exactly what/how the Omni sensors work. This is a vital part and if its cool, a clone should be set up to suit.
Right now, since I don't have my Rift yet, I don't know how it all feels. The wiimote setup is not terrible, but it might be a little jerky with the rift on. The kinect would work really well, but I think I'm going to ask blazespinnaker for Android integration.
Shannonb1 wrote:Look like your walking area is a little small, other then that I love the idea of the furniture movers. You can also make plastic molds to go onto the bottom of shoes, pretty easy to make.

Im thinking an old satelite dish would be a sturdy starting point but I would follow your lead in the fabric. Good show
.
Did you do any research on the slickest carpet - slider combo?
I would have liked to expand it a little, but with the 4' restriction of the plywood I was slightly limited. A satelite dish would be fantastic, I chased after that myself. No luck in the local scrap yards, and nowhere around here spins metal. Well, with the carpet, I was getting impatient, so I just did the common sense route and just picked up a short loop carpet (much like the soft side of velcro.) I will certainly look into those plasic molds for my next treadmil project (ceiling mounted harness.)
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Here's another approach I'm playing around with.. It's a bit labor intensive so I'm considering other approaches. Cheap though! Just $30 for the MDF. Not a lot in the way of tile mortar, probably another $20 if I buy a bucket of it. I think I have some cement lying around though which I might use. Hopefully I could find some cast off laminate.
newmodel2.png
I am also looking at injection molds. If anyone is interested, perhaps we could create some sort of "open source" business on Kickstarter where everyone helps out. I'll take a small profit for my time and any investment, but will publish all the Accounting / Partnerships / BOMs / Contracts / 3D designs / etc so anyone can fork the business if they were so inclined.

My thought right now is sandbags + injection mold. The injection mold will have be thick enough to withstand the running on it, but not so thick that it needs to be heavy. The user will have to purchase sandbags (or some sort of weight) to make sure the base doesn't slide around while they're running on it.

They will also have to have something for safety. My thought is a ceiling harness as it's the least expensive approach. Plus, the user will have to hang down their cords for the OR from the ceiling anyways. (A wireless OR is going to be another $200-$300, unless OculusVR can figure out some sort of inexpensive WHDI solution).
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Hmmm, another possibility that occurred to me:

Get an exercise ball, like this:

Image

and some ABS pellets:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ABS-PLASTIC-PEL ... 4cff640fcb

And then melt the pellets down in a pot and then pour it over the exercise ball in layers. The trick is not to melt them too hot, otherwise they won't cool quickly.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by OutatimeTV »

The incline in your drawing and from the ball seems to be too steep for a natural gait.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by AllOfTheApples! »

Edit: didn't mean to post, how do I delete a post? :(

<<< NOOOB
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by AllOfTheApples! »

blazespinnaker wrote:Here's another approach I'm playing around with.. It's a bit labor intensive so I'm considering other approaches. Cheap though! Just $30 for the MDF. Not a lot in the way of tile mortar, probably another $20 if I buy a bucket of it. I think I have some cement lying around though which I might use. Hopefully I could find some cast off laminate.
newmodel2.png
I am also looking at injection molds. If anyone is interested, perhaps we could create some sort of "open source" business on Kickstarter where everyone helps out. I'll take a small profit for my time and any investment, but will publish all the Accounting / Partnerships / BOMs / Contracts / 3D designs / etc so anyone can fork the business if they were so inclined.

My thought right now is sandbags + injection mold. The injection mold will have be thick enough to withstand the running on it, but not so thick that it needs to be heavy. The user will have to purchase sandbags (or some sort of weight) to make sure the base doesn't slide around while they're running on it.

They will also have to have something for safety. My thought is a ceiling harness as it's the least expensive approach. Plus, the user will have to hang down their cords for the OR from the ceiling anyways. (A wireless OR is going to be another $200-$300, unless OculusVR can figure out some sort of inexpensive WHDI solution).
This is fantastic! I want to try my slider shoes on flat carpet with a ceiling mount, flat ground restraints have received decent feedback on the OR forum.
Wooh, I'd back that kickstarter!
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by cybereality »

If you click the edit post button, there should be a checkbox that says "delete post" at the top.

There may also be an "x" button on the bottom right corner of the post, but maybe that's only for moderators.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by shent1080 »

"group buy" injection moulded bases is definitely the way to go, need to find out where everyone is from though and maybe setup a few.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

shent1080 wrote:"group buy" injection moulded bases is definitely the way to go, need to find out where everyone is from though and maybe setup a few.
Absolutely, let's do this! Probably the best way to start is working prototypes everyone is happy with (what we're doing right now). Videos + sharing time on them with each other is a good way to build up community confidence.

Once we have great prototypes we can worry about the zillion and one biz details for the 'group buy' that will have to be dealt with at some point. They're very extensive, but also very doable.

For now though, let's just keep everything open source and transparent and worry about that part later.

Also, anyone wants to help research on what designs makes for a good injection mold prototype, please do. I'll be making some calls. Let's start up a spread sheet we can all share.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by geekmaster »

blazespinnaker wrote:Hmmm, another possibility that occurred to me:

Get an exercise ball ... melt the pellets down in a pot and then pour it over the exercise ball in layers. The trick is not to melt them too hot, otherwise they won't cool quickly.
You need a ball with the center at your hips for proper leg rotation, just like what other concave ODT devices use. That would be a ball about as tall as you are.

And no, no way to delete posts. That is why all the "sorry, dulicate post" posts...

You moderators get all the perks! :D
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

geekmaster wrote:You need a ball with the center at your hips for proper leg rotation, just like what other concave ODT devices use. That would be a ball about as tall as you are.
Perhaps. I was thinking of putting a flat thin circular board on top of it and let some air out.

The OMNI concave ODT, btw, actually isn't a hemisphere but rather more of a spherical frustum where the sides form an octagon, at least from what I can tell. Whether this is the best approach is an interesting question.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by AllOfTheApples! »

blazespinnaker wrote:
shent1080 wrote:"group buy" injection moulded bases is definitely the way to go, need to find out where everyone is from though and maybe setup a few.
Absolutely, let's do this! Probably the best way to start is working prototypes everyone is happy with (what we're doing right now). Videos + sharing time on them with each other is a good way to build up community confidence.

Once we have great prototypes we can worry about the zillion and one biz details for the 'group buy' that will have to be dealt with at some point. They're very extensive, but also very doable.

For now though, let's just keep everything open source and transparent and worry about that part later.

Also, anyone wants to help research on what designs makes for a good injection mold prototype, please do. I'll be making some calls. Let's start up a spread sheet we can all share.
I love you guys!

When the OR gains (some level of) positional tracking, it'll make movement simulation much more open. The dish could be replaced by a plastic shoe, a carpet, and a ceiling mounted harness since staying in one spot would be less of a concern.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by shent1080 »

A ceiling mounted harness would be the most unrestricted way to hold the user in position without having straps in the way of whatever peripheral you are using, but i think we need to make a device that is all in one, most people, especially those in rented property's and living with friends family, aren't going to want to drill a hole in there ceiling.

The base that Jan uses for his system is very good, simple in design (meaning no moving parts, no disrespect Jan), and keeps you in position with the grooves.

So it's all about the harness now, I think either a frame/hook that goes above your head to strap some sort of climbing harness to, or a harness similar in design to Jan's but with spring mounted telescopic bars which would allow for some crouching etc (hook and strap my first choice though)
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

shent1080 wrote:A ceiling mounted harness would be the most unrestricted way to hold the user in position without having straps in the way of whatever peripheral you are using, but i think we need to make a device that is all in one, most people, especially those in rented property's and living with friends family, aren't going to want to drill a hole in there ceiling.

The base that Jan uses for his system is very good, simple in design (meaning no moving parts, no disrespect Jan), and keeps you in position with the grooves.

So it's all about the harness now, I think either a frame/hook that goes above your head to strap some sort of climbing harness to, or a harness similar in design to Jan's but with spring mounted telescopic bars which would allow for some crouching etc (hook and strap my first choice though)

Yes, the dish treadmill (first patented in 1956) is a good approach for this.

https://www.google.com/patents?id=judOA ... &q&f=false

Kelley also allowed for the treadmill to be cylindrical in nature.

They also had one in disclosure movie (From 1994, I think)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/mheydt-blogima ... 859131.png

It's not clear that Jan's $300 plastic dish is the best way to go, especially since you can order a 1.8 meter plastic satellite dish set from Alibaba for < $20. It seems to me the material cost of what he's designed there is next to nothing. The cost really is the mold, and once that's done you're good to go.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/72286 ... _band.html

As for the frame, yes, some people are going to want that. But I think the frame is a separate problem. And for the time being, we have to hang a wire from the ceiling anyways in order to deal with turning around and cable management. So I'm personally focused on the base, myself. But - I'll make suggestions about frames if anything occurs to me.

For what it's worth, here's my ceiling set up:
CeilingRift.JPG
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

http://www.wired.com/design/2013/01/protomold/

http://www.protomold.com/Default.aspx?u ... Resin.aspx

Interesting company.

The key would be to componentize the molds to make sure we fit within their their size guidelines.

They're also giving away free services to 'cool ideas':

http://www.protolabs.com/coolideaprevio ... wk=true#13

Since VR is very cool right now and we'll be a mostly non profit / community based effort I think we might qualify, assuming we get some ducks in a row first.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by shent1080 »

blazespinnaker wrote:
shent1080 wrote:A ceiling mounted harness would be the most unrestricted way to hold the user in position without having straps in the way of whatever peripheral you are using, but i think we need to make a device that is all in one, most people, especially those in rented property's and living with friends family, aren't going to want to drill a hole in there ceiling.

The base that Jan uses for his system is very good, simple in design (meaning no moving parts, no disrespect Jan), and keeps you in position with the grooves.

So it's all about the harness now, I think either a frame/hook that goes above your head to strap some sort of climbing harness to, or a harness similar in design to Jan's but with spring mounted telescopic bars which would allow for some crouching etc (hook and strap my first choice though)

Yes, the dish treadmill (first patented in 1956) is a good approach for this.

I'm not talking about the shape of the base, that's a given, i'm talking about the indented lines on the base adding to stability
.

https://www.google.com/patents?id=judOA ... &q&f=false

Kelley also allowed for the treadmill to be cylindrical in nature.

They also had one in disclosure movie (From 1994, I think)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/mheydt-blogima ... 859131.png

It's not clear that Jan's $300 plastic dish is the best way to go, especially since you can order a 1.8 meter plastic satellite dish set from Alibaba for < $20. It seems to me the material cost of what he's designed there is next to nothing. The cost really is the mold, and once that's done you're good to go.

To be honest, I think that's a bit unfair, it's not just a plastic dish, nobody else has come up with a design as good as the omni to date and that took 2 years to get to this point, add in the tracking hardware and software, time taken for PR, Research, etc and the costs add up. We are talking about a homebrew product, not commercially viable one

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/72286 ... _band.html

As for the frame, yes, some people are going to want that. But I think the frame is a separate problem. And for the time being, we have to hang a wire from the ceiling anyways in order to deal with turning around and cable management. So I'm personally focused on the base, myself. But - I'll make suggestions about frames if anything occurs to me.

If we are looking into injection moulding then the frame may as well be done at the same time, but that's my opinion, everyone needs to decide on a setup that they are happy with as not everyone can drill there ceilings
.

For what it's worth, here's my ceiling set up:
CeilingRift.JPG

BTW Great links to the moulding companies, are you in the US
?
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Hey Shent,

Thanks for all the contributions.

Jan is a great guy, let me make that clear. He has incredible vision and a real leader in VR. I expect nothing but great things from him. More importantly, he has gained the respect of the community at large. This is no small feat in itself.

That being said, I have to respectfully disagree with his pricing strategy - $300 is way too much for the omni base. I think you can sell the base for less than $80 before shipping and BOM is probably less < $40

The problem though is the startup cost on the mold (especially at these sizes) and finding the right partner to build it. I agree, that's a tough nut to crack. It's possible that Jan ran into problems there and thus the high prices.

As for tracking software, I have already developed open source software which you can install on your iPod and strap to your shin. Email me for links. I am currently working on an android version. I'm sure other people will develop similar software. I am pretty sure OculusVR is developing software. Hopefully they will OS it.

As for the base, there are tonnes of ways to deal with gait control - grooves that go up instead of inward, different slopes to your base (steep and shallow), slightly higher friction material on different parts of your base. The list goes on and is quite endless. Inward grooves with steel pins is one way, albeit a bit noisy and potentially painful if you end up twisting your ankle on it. But it's definitely an interesting way, and possibly even the best way. Is it worth the premium he's putting on it? If I thought so, I wouldn't be working on this project.

Now, the frame is yet another piece here. I haven't worked on that, so I don't know how much extra all that is. It could be quite a bit, especially from a product liability insurance point of view. The problem with the frame is that it is safety gear. The safety gear business comes with certain implicit guarantees. If someone slips through the harness he's selling and cracks their head, they have a right to sue.

In our case, this project should make no such representations. Safety gear will be up to you and you will be expected to install it professionally. The demo videos we do (if we do any) I think should use a mounted ceiling harness done by a licensed and bonded professional.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by mscanfp »

I could be wrong but I think the only thing patentable about the Omni is the pins and grooves, and therefore that is the biggest reason for their inclusion. If you have a decent harness, then that whole part of it almost seems redundant. Again, I'm speaking from a certain amount of nativity. I know they've done well, so I don't feel bad saying this now, but I don't know how anyone could plunk down that kind of money, before testing it themselves, when who knows if there will be a Rift in a year, much less support for the Omni. DIY is the only way to go until this whole thing is a proven commodity. For those who spent the money to support the project, I completely respect that.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by Gamnaught »

Hey AllOfTheApples!,

I'm trying to make my own Omni-treadmill similar to yours and the only thing i cant seem to figure out is how you made the slope for the base on the plywood and how you attatched the carpet to the slope that you made the way it is (it seems to be stretched out over it or something). Could you please explain this to me?

Thanks.
-G
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blazespinnaker
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Good paper to read for people doing their DIY Omni directional Treadmill

Hat tip flassan of wizdish.

Relevant quote on page 35
3.2. Walking Platform 35
I did another test with a smaller dish (Figure 3.7(b)). The smaller dish has a
smaller radius and so has a greater angle of inclination. I wanted to test whether
it could provide a better feeling of walking. This second dish has a diameter of
75cm and a depth of 20cm. I found similar result as for the larger dish; the foot
stopped sliding about 15-20 cm from the centre.
Figure 3.7: Dish platform: (a)1.5m diameter, (b)0.75m diameter.
As a result of these ndings I modied the design of the dish curvature to
incorporate a
at inclination angle. Specically, a horizontal cross-section of the
dish is polygonal rather than circular in the new design. A less curved inclination
angle was shown to work much better since it provides better footing for the feet
to slide.
I built an inclination test platform (see Figure 3.8) to measure the minimum
inclination angle that can provide sucient sliding of the feet. Brief trials of
dierent inclination angles were performed and a 15 degree angle was found to
be the minimum angle.
The original dish in Figure 3.7(a) took several months to be built and shipped.
There was signicant cost and time in getting this rst dish completed. Some
of the delay was due to the lack of local manufacturing capabilities, meaning I
had to source it from overseas. Because of this I did not create the new proposed
design using stainless steel material as before.
I created the new dish platform with a
at inclination angle using 17mm plywood.
Compared with other wooden materials, plywood has greater strength and
greater resistance to cracking. Prior to submitting the order to the mechanical
3.2. Walking Platform 36
Figure 3.8: Inclination test platform
workshop I also produced a simple cardboard prototype and paper patterns to
cut the plywood (Figure 3.9(a)).
Made a rough one, for fun.
photo (4).JPG
It gave me some ideas. Hinges between the pie slices and the bottom would probably be a good idea. I like the idea of using plywood and an old tire as per the Dish Platform.

Interestingly enough, this brings BOM down to about $20 per ODT. I can get a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch plywood for $30. That'll do about 2 ODTs. I'm sure the laminate can't be all that much. Might buy some moulding to put over the seams.
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ThePhilosopher
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by ThePhilosopher »

I'm not sure whether you are not reinventing the wheel here... I mean, there are apparently several university-level programs to create a true omni directional treadmill and it's apparently not a simple task.
However, the results are really impressive!

I didn't exactly understand all the hype around the Virtuix from the same reason. The technology used there seems to be a dead end and I can't see a real improvement of their basic concept. It seems to be a bit like the Nintendo 3DS against the Rift...

But here's what they have already done: :shock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msci440q18s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moq1Dclza90
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cybereality
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by cybereality »

Yes, most of us regulars have seen those videos before (and the BF3 one, etc.).

I think the current topics are about practical and economical options. Things that can fit in a small flat, and cost hundreds of dollars, not tens or hundred thousands.
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ThePhilosopher
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by ThePhilosopher »

Of course, I understand the economical problem. But the problem is not using a technology where the possbility of immersion will be limited very soon.
But, what about this other type of technology?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmpOQZgHUMo
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ThePhilosopher
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by ThePhilosopher »

Hum, yes, $35,000 :shock:

http://www.3dfocus.co.uk/virtual-realit ... ming/13149

It's strange it is so expensive. Better buy a car and drive to have the feeling of movement for the same price...
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Benjimoron
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by Benjimoron »

To be fair, if I'd invented those solutions I'd be a but gutted now. It turns out that the better solution is just a low friction bowl.
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blazespinnaker
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

I dunno :)

I think the best solution will probably be shoes hooked up to a mechanical apparatrus and can react like a feather with zero latency to the virtual environment and your movements. Think of a stairmaster you slip your feet into, but omnidirectional and can handle any kind of virtual incline or massive quick turn or shift in your body weight to keep you upright. Add a great harness to that, and you're even flying.

Some automated fans, and all you're missing is inertia (which will probably be impossible without some kind of direct BCI)

It'll be sometime before we have mass consumer penetration to make it worthwhile to build those sorts of things however.
Screen Shot 2013-06-15 at 1.16.03 PM.png
The best technical advantage (other than price) the dish treadmill has is that it's zero latency. Very few ODTs you can say that about.
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blazespinnaker
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by blazespinnaker »

Pro tip for those who are thinking about doing this:

Get a couple square bits of plywood, lean one up against something and the other as a base and experiment with shoes/surfaces/oculus rift and just forward movement until you're happy you have the right angle / surface friction / shoe configuration before you start buying everything and slicing and dicing.
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Re: Onmi-directional Treadmill! :D

Post by WiredEarp »

I think the best solution will probably be shoes hooked up to a mechanical apparatrus and can react like a feather with zero latency to the virtual environment and your movements. Think of a stairmaster you slip your feet into, but omnidirectional and can handle any kind of virtual incline or massive quick turn or shift in your body weight to keep you upright. Add a great harness to that, and you're even flying.
I agree BlazeSpinnaker. The stuff we are getting now is a good first step, but this is where the technology needs to head to create truly immersive environments that allow you to simulate true walking on different surfaces.

That said, it will be a while before the prices of technologies like this get down to a level that would be accepted by consumers.
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