WizDish Kickstarter begins Tuesday 18 June

[blazespinnaker]

Congratulations Flassan for getting this all put together!

I think it is unfair at this point to make assumptions about included tracking solutions. The Omni states that they have a goal to create an integrated tracking solution, but the details are very minimal at this point. At face value - right now both systems rely on Kinect so they are essentially equivalent. The Omni takes a slightly different approach to provide a closer approximation of the walking mechanic but does so at the expense of flexibility of motion. The Wizdish takes a "simpler-is-better" approach and by eschewing the harnessing - clearly allows the user wider freedom of motion (the ability to crouch seems pretty self-evident to me even without a video demonstration). Both systems have strengths and weaknesses and I think there is a place for both solutions in the market. I can envision Wizdish having a large uptake in Europe where living space is smaller and shipping costs are a big factor.

Simpler is better, yes, but movements such as crouching on the wizdish don't seem particularly advisable to me without gear.

Stick to what Julian has shown in the video. You get more fancy without a harness and you may find yourself falling over / smashing into something.

[Zoide]

Flassan: Just wanted to point out that there is a small typo in the Kickstarter page: "We also expect the WizShoes to last, so long as care is taken not to use them anywhere except the on a WizDish. "

[NightlHlawk]

I think it is unfair at this point to make assumptions about included tracking solutions. The Omni states that they have a goal to create an integrated tracking solution, but the details are very minimal at this point. At face value - right now both systems rely on Kinect so they are essentially equivalent. The Omni takes a slightly different approach to provide a closer approximation of the walking mechanic but does so at the expense of flexibility of motion. The Wizdish takes a "simpler-is-better" approach and by eschewing the harnessing - clearly allows the user wider freedom of motion (the ability to crouch seems pretty self-evident to me even without a video demonstration). Both systems have strengths and weaknesses and I think there is a place for both solutions in the market. I can envision Wizdish having a large uptake in Europe where living space is smaller and shipping costs are a big factor.

My comments are based on what is being promised when each product ships. The Omni says it *will* ship with tracking hardware and software. The Wizdish states it will need a Kinect to work with its software so I'd have to go out and buy a Kinect on top of the Wizdish cost. Not complaining about having to buy something else, but it is what it is. I trust the Omni will ship with tracking hardware integrated as promised.

Crouching is obviously easy to see how it can be done, but how safe is it to do when your feet are sliding around? It's a valid concern that I'd like to see addressed especially because it's marketed to be able to do it.

One of the things I was skeptical about the Omni is that it says you can strafe on it (not sure if it's stated anywhere about the ability to walk backwards or not) but there is no decent demonstration of it that I've seen. It's another concern that others have brought up. But even with that in mind, I still backed the Omni as I can live without strafing (though I'm sure they're looking into ways to make it work). I'm not sure if I can do without some sort of safety measure on either of these devices, though. Strafing also seems like it would be a little awkward on the Wizdish.

Overall, in terms of cost of setup, they're not that far in price. Omni vs Wizdish + Kinect. Again, the added support and safety of the Omni is worth the extra cost to me.

But yes, I can see the appeal of the Wizdish for smaller spaces and for people whose shipping costs are high on the Omni. I live in the US so shipping costs for both are pretty much the same which is why I never bothered mentioning it before as it had no effect on which product I'd prefer to back.

I do like the fact that Wizdish came up with a shoe solution that is more flexible (only 2 sizes) but they still seem pretty costly (and ~$21 more than Omni shoes). This is an irrelevant observation, but what first came to my mind when seeing them is gluing those easy furniture sliders/movers to the bottom of any shoe. lol

[Flassan]

Well spotted Zoide, thanks.

Fair points NightlHlawk and you have every right to ask any questions you like. Here is a quick video we just did to demonstrate crouching:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL32YMyvvB0

I have to admit I like what Kinect 2 appears to be able to do and I'm sure there will be other products like it. As I mentioned on Kickstarter it's easy to imagine full body tracking allowing you to look down at your whole virtual body, as well as all the other great things it can do. Crouching is really very easy on the WizDish, even when holding a gun. Adding a frame might be a good idea for nervous users but could impinge on these benefits.
I've loaned my Rift to Inition. I will agree it's slightly harder wearing the Rift but it's just the dev kit. With good head-tracking it should become as if you weren't wearing it.

[MrGreen]

Playing a game with the Rift simply standing up can be hazardous... This looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure you don't expose yourself to lawsuits from the enthusiasts that'll inevitably lose a few teeth.

[NightlHlawk]

Fair points NightlHlawk and you have every right to ask any questions you like. Here is a quick video we just did to demonstrate crouching:

I have to admit I like what Kinect 2 appears to be able to do and I'm sure there will be other products like it. As I mentioned on Kickstarter it's easy to imagine full body tracking allowing you to look down at your whole virtual body, as well as all the other great things it can do. Crouching is really very easy on the WizDish, even when holding a gun. Adding a frame might be a good idea for nervous users but could impinge on these benefits.

That was a very nice demonstration. Very quick response to my question and I'm sure will only help your cause. Thanks for taking the time to do this. It shows you care what your customers think. Again, I wish you the best of luck with your product and kickstarter campaign.

[Flassan]

Hi MrGreen. I think most people would be smart enough to take sensible precautions.
The main thing is the WizDish 'does what it does' extremely well.

[blazespinnaker]

If you moved that slow crouching/rising (not to mention turning) in team fortress you'd be toast.

I'll upload a video of myself playing TF2 later this week once I get my more professional looking safety harness (just using rope at the moment).

Maybe it'll become more clear what I'm trying to say with regards to safety and FPS games (and cable management, ugh).

You really have to actively play these games full on with motion capture to appreciate the implications of all this.

Edit: Let me add though, I do like this simple approach. There are some particular VR applications that I think it'd be awesome for. VR Walkthroughs, casual use, low impact exercise. Anything that doesn't require rapid turning / body weight shifting.

[Vamplifire]

This is something i just dont think i can get behind. This looks unsafe

[geekmaster]

If you moved that slow crouching/rising (not to mention turning) in team fortress you'd be toast. ...

Some crouches demonstrated in that video are a lot faster than I can do. They seem plenty fast to me.

I used to do a lot of roller skating back in my younger years, jumps, kick-turns, and such. The video demonstrations (especially the turning) remind me a LOT of roller skating (which I enjoyed immensely).

My wheels were far more expensive "back in the day" (about 40 years ago), when they were the "go to" wheel for professional skaters (before competiton drove down the price):
http://www.theperfectsk8s.com/canadian- ... heel8.html

If the WizDish could safely bring back that experience, I would love using it. Considering the cost of four decades of devaluation of the dollar, the WizDish (even with shipping costs) is FAR cheaper than my roller skate wheels cost (not even counting the skates themselves).

[MrGreen]

Hi MrGreen. I think most people would be smart enough

Nice. Great PR right there.

to take sensible precautions.

Like what? Having someone watch you to make sure you don't step out of the surface and catch you if you fall?

The main thing is the WizDish 'does what it does' extremely well.

Probably. I guess I'd have to try it myself.

[blazespinnaker]

If you moved that slow crouching/rising (not to mention turning) in team fortress you'd be toast. ...

Some crouches demonstrated in that video are a lot faster than I can do. They seem plenty fast to me.

It'll be more clear when I upload my video. We also haven't touched upon jumping here.

But, I don't want to seem like I am picking on WizDish here. Part of problem is that I am projecting one of my own interests, which is online multiplayer FPS. That seems a bit unfair. There's a lot more to the VR world than that.

I bet the WizDish would be perfect for skyrim. Or walking around in SecondLife.

[brantlew]

But, I don't want to seem like I am picking on WizDish here. Part of problem is that I am projecting one of my own interests, which is online multiplayer FPS. That seems a bit unfair. There's a lot more to the VR world than that.

Yes, tested against the metric of modern FPS run-and-gun shooters - any ODT solution is going to have a hard time measuring up against those requirements. It's unfortunate that they have to be marketed that way to attract attention.

[Flassan]

If you moved that slow crouching/rising (not to mention turning) in team fortress you'd be toast. ...

Some crouches demonstrated in that video are a lot faster than I can do. They seem plenty fast to me.

It'll be more clear when I upload my video. We also haven't touched upon jumping here.

But, I don't want to seem like I am picking on WizDish here. Part of problem is that I am projecting one of my own interests, which is online multiplayer FPS. That seems a bit unfair. There's a lot more to the VR world than that.

I bet the WizDish would be perfect for skyrim. Or walking around in SecondLife.

I think you could crouch and stand as fast as you can in real life and to some extend that's the point of VR. We've become used to some very artificial ideas in gaming which may have to be changed. You can do a kind of jump or maybe a gesture that's consistent with the action, such as raising your hands in some way. However, bear in mind that your virtual jump could be a few seconds of flight and you are unlikely to really stay airborne that long, so gestures may be best.

[Ericshelpdesk]

I think you could crouch and stand as fast as you can in real life and to some extend that's the point of VR. We've become used to some very artificial ideas in gaming which may have to be changed. You can do a kind of jump or maybe a gesture that's consistent with the action, such as raising your hands in some way. However, bear in mind that your virtual jump could be a few seconds of flight and you are unlikely to really stay airborne that long, so gestures may be best.

I don't play a game to be held down by my own physical limitations. I get enough of that in real life.

I'm not jumping over ever freaking rock.
I'm not ducking behind every piece of cover.
I'm not running like hell to get to the next piece of cover.

I'm too old, too fat, and too fragile to be doing those sorts of things for more than a 10 minutes without taking a few days off work to recover. I shouldn't have to be as fit as a soldier or as trained as a soldier to be able to play as a soldier in a video game. That's what video games are for, right?

That's the danger here.

[MrGreen]

What's your point Eric? You can already do that with current controllers. What do you expect from a product like this?

[geekmaster]

What's your point Eric? You can already do that with current controllers. What do you expect from a product like this?

Immersion and Vestibulo-Ocular Concordance (no motion sickness). FPS seated with a controller. VR exploration on an ODT. Just going for a leisurely daily stroll, like old fogeys do, with no need to get mugged outside in the real world.

[Ericshelpdesk]

What's your point Eric? You can already do that with current controllers. What do you expect from a product like this?

In terms of gaming in general where you have to move fast and move constantly, this product isn't useful. There are a few games out there where the objective is simply to walk around and look at things that don't require you to be better than you actually are, but is that going to be a compelling enough experience to justify dragging out your dish, putting on your shoes, hanging your cords above you, and throwing on the goggles, just to go walking around Dear Esther?

As you said, I can already do all of that with current controllers.

Until I see otherwise, I'm relegating this thing to being a cool tech demo or maybe an interesting arcade piece. I have a bad hunch that the novelty will wear off quickly.

On the other hand though, I would be more than happy to be proven wrong.

[brantlew]

There's a funny sort of contradiction that seems to pop up when talking about motion devices. To be fully immersed your virtual body needs to be tracked and controlled 1:1 by your real body. Yet there seems to be significant opposition to physical exercise when gaming. So short of neuronal hijacking, you are left with a choice: immersion versus convenience. I think it would be quite ironic (and desirable) if video gaming performance in the near future was dictated by athleticism and FPS gamers were regarded as being physically fit.

[blazespinnaker]

I think there is a middle road, and one that I'm programming into my open source accelerometer motion capture app that I've been distributing to beta testers.

I have parameterized the sensitivity of the measurements, so you can configure it to take the smallest/slowest of steps to get your avatar walking versus a very large/fast ones for those who are looking for more exercise.

I am also thinking of making the walking / jogging in place optional, so instead you can just lean in the direction you want to go rather than have to do the full set of body motions.

It will all depend on your goals. Hopefully people will amp it up as they get better safety equipment and realize that half the excitement of the immersion is geting their heart rate up and their adrenalin pumping.

You still have to turn quickly though. Can't really fix that without inducing motion sickness.

[Flassan]

There's a funny sort of contradiction that seems to pop up when talking about motion devices. To be fully immersed your virtual body needs to be tracked and controlled 1:1 by your real body. Yet there seems to be significant opposition to physical exercise when gaming. So short of neuronal hijacking, you are left with a choice: immersion versus convenience. I think it would be quite ironic (and desirable) if video gaming performance in the near future was dictated by athleticism and FPS gamers were regarded as being physically fit.

Someone I hadn't met until they tried the WizDish recently wrote this to me the next day. You might find it interesting.

"Hi Julian,

No, thank you, really, Your Wizdish, Oculus and Kinect combination is one of the most unexpectedly engaging and enjoyable gaming experiences I have had for a long time. I think all 3 parts are essential for a convincingly immersive first person experience, remove just one, and you lose the magic.

I’m glad that I fulfilled a milestone in your development being the first person to use it as you envisioned. I think why I may be different to your other users is that I am by nature ridiculously competitive in physically demanding sports as well as behind a PC/console screen, often running myself ragged on a football pitch or at a gym running around till I can barely stand, or playing for hours on end in front of an FPS till I feel like I’ve done enough that I have ‘won’. I also ice skated and roller blade regularly so that helped with picking up manoeuvring on the Wizdish quickly, and also removed any concern or fear of falling over while learning new things, hence me pushing the limits of my balance on the dish.

As I mentioned, I love the Wizdish as it helped me effectively use the adrenaline I usually build up when playing FPS’s competitively, which I have never been able to do until now. I also noticed that the dish really worked well with Team Fortress 2’s game mechanic. Running around quickly to objectives or hunting other players for a short while and then getting a short breather between rounds, ready for the next couple of minutes of running around has the same frame work of many training and exercises routines. Of course I did find it a good work out also.

I think you’ll be able to find a lot of other keen users like me if you put out an advert out for keen physically sporting individuals who are also diehard FPS gamers too - skate boarding or ice skating experience a bonus! When the tech is more mature and TF2 is more playable I’d love to see a tournament between players just using your setup."

[Lurch666]

If this funds and I get my wizdish I'll be practicing without the rift to get used to it before trying in VR.Even though it looks tricky I don't think it's something I can't adapt to.

[blazespinnaker]

"Manufacturers of products and providers of services can be held liable for injury, damage or economic loss suffered by a customer and third party based on all aspects of its products and services. This includes the product or service itself, all written materials that accompany the product, and all oral and written statements made before and after sale. As a result, manufacturers and service providers must provide a reasonably safe product, competent services, and written and oral statements that do not diminish the quality or safety of the product or service or confuse the customer into doing something that results in injury, damage, or loss."

http://www.productliabilityprevention.c ... l_2010.pdf

Why no frame?

We are sometimes asked why we haven't provided a frame to support the user. The answer is we don't believe one is necessary, and in fact many who have used the WizDish tell us that they don't want a frame!

I think de-emphasizing the need for safety gear is probably unwise.

[blazespinnaker]

Anyways, I've overstayed my welcome on this soap box.

Good luck, Flassan.

[remosito]

Playing a game with the Rift simply standing up can be hazardous... This looks like a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure you don't expose yourself to lawsuits from the enthusiasts that'll inevitably lose a few teeth.

You mean like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2N01yvONw0

[cybereality]

So I backed it (big surprise!!!), but I'm surprised it's only got 14 backers so far. I really would have thought more people would be interested in cheap ODTs. Granted, the video is a little cheesy, but it does at least demonstrate the product.

I did get to try a prototype of the device and I thought it was interesting. The motion did get your body working, and I could see how it could add to the experience. I was not completely blown away, but it seemed to work good enough for me to want to buy one. I did not, however, get to try it while I was actually in a game. I just put on the shoes and shuffled around for a bit. At first, I was a little uneasy, but I got comfortable on it pretty quickly. That said, I can certainly see that there could be dangers here. Especially if you were in a game that was spinning around or doing loop-d-loops or something and you lose track of gravity. So I think that is a valid concern. But if you practice with it a bunch you will probably be OK.

I don't want to compare it to the Omni, because I did not try the Omni, but they are different products. The Wizdish is way more portable, and can be tucked under a bed or in a closet. The price is a bit cheaper, especially considering worldwide shipping. It may be a bit less noise if you live in an apartment. There are advantages here.

I really hope more people will get on this, because I would like to see the project funded. A lot of people maybe have not tried free-standing VR, and don't realize how awesome of an experience it is. Using the Rift sitting down in a seat is honestly not that compelling to me, unless you are playing a cockpit style game (racing, space sim, etc.) where it makes sense to be sitting down. For first-person games, standing up and spinning around is really great. I think even just walking in place would be interesting, but maybe these cheap ODTs can take it to the next level. I'm hoping at least.

[WiredEarp]

@ Brantlew:

So short of neuronal hijacking, you are left with a choice: immersion versus convenience.

That is exactly the issue. I think there will be differentiation between home systems, which will probably go for a more 'convenient' interface that will be useable by all, and possibly arcade systems that will support actual walking/running (using Virtuix Omni, or other mechanical ODT type devices).

@ blazespinnaker: thats what I was referring to in another thread when I asked for increased acceleration on head turning for Rift Racer. You can boost the amount of movement/turn in VR without significantly impacting immersion, if you do it correctly. I'd imagine that running like this in VR would become a bit like pedalling an electric bike with 'pedal assist'. If anyone has any experience of this, its just like pedalling a bike, only much easier. Makes you feel like you are some sort of super cyclist . With L4D2, I discovered I could make a 90 degree turn actually turn closer to 180 degrees without any negative impact in immersion, and with less body (and cable) strain from having to turn heaps all the time.

Really, one of the biggest issue with both the Wizdish and the Omni, for me at least, is the requirement for special shoes. That means you have to deal with all the attendant issues of sizing, etc. If im setting up a VR arcade, I don't really want to have to manage special shoes like a bowling alley. That said, I really want to run around naturally inside a VR, so I'll probably buy an Omni anyway at some point soon.

[TheHolyChicken]

That said, I can certainly see that there could be dangers here. Especially if you were in a game that was spinning around or doing loop-d-loops or something and you lose track of gravity.

This is a comment I see a lot, and it's a comment I really do not understand....

Why the hell are people wanting to use a walking platform to do virtual loop-the-loops?! Are you wanting to walk IRL while pretending to pilot a jet aircraft? Ride rollercoasters, or do other crazy things? It feels to me akin to criticising a bicycle trainer because it'd be terrible at simulating scuba diving. It's a device that allows you to walk around in VR. So, while In VR, that's what I want to be doing - walking around. Not racing motorcycles, or skydiving, or piloting a spacecraft; walking.

It also seems to me that future games, designed for VR from the get-go, are going to be slower paced and more "gentle" than the frenzied mania that seems commonplace in many games today. People seem to find simply exploring the environment much more compelling, and the intensity of action - unengaging on a screen - is now greatly amplified in the Rift. That slower pace is going to work in the WizDish's favour. Many people are suffering from V-sickness simply from sidestepping, for christ's sake. I don't think games where we're looping and doing triple somersaults and spinning around are even VR-suitable in the first place!

I really hope more people will get on this, because I would like to see the project funded. A lot of people maybe have not tried free-standing VR, and don't realize how awesome of an experience it is. Using the Rift sitting down in a seat is honestly not that compelling to me, unless you are playing a cockpit style game (racing, space sim, etc.) where it makes sense to be sitting down. For first-person games, standing up and spinning around is really great. I think even just walking in place would be interesting, but maybe these cheap ODTs can take it to the next level. I'm hoping at least.

Agreed wholeheartedly. My first experience with the Rift was actually an evening using Rift + WizDish, in the Tuscany demo. Walking around that villa was really great. My own Rift arrived on Friday, and I'm actually finding Tuscany (and now HL2) to be just not that great in comparison. Movement just feels odd. I've tried sitting with mouse & keyboard, sitting with gamepad, and standing with gamepad..... but what I really want to do is get back to just walking.

[Dawsmonkee]

That said, I can certainly see that there could be dangers here. Especially if you were in a game that was spinning around or doing loop-d-loops or something and you lose track of gravity.

This is a comment I see a lot, and it's a comment I really do not understand....

Why the hell are people wanting to use a walking platform to do virtual loop-the-loops?! Are you wanting to walk IRL while pretending to pilot a jet aircraft? Ride rollercoasters, or do other crazy things? It feels to me akin to criticising a bicycle trainer because it'd be terrible at simulating scuba diving. It's a device that allows you to walk around in VR. So, while In VR, that's what I want to be doing - walking around. Not racing motorcycles, or skydiving, or piloting a spacecraft; walking.

It also seems to me that future games, designed for VR from the get-go, are going to be slower paced and more "gentle" than the frenzied mania that seems commonplace in many games today. People seem to find simply exploring the environment much more compelling, and the intensity of action - unengaging on a screen - is now greatly amplified in the Rift. That slower pace is going to work in the WizDish's favour. Many people are suffering from V-sickness simply from sidestepping, for christ's sake. I don't think games where we're looping and doing triple somersaults and spinning around are even VR-suitable in the first place!

I really hope more people will get on this, because I would like to see the project funded. A lot of people maybe have not tried free-standing VR, and don't realize how awesome of an experience it is. Using the Rift sitting down in a seat is honestly not that compelling to me, unless you are playing a cockpit style game (racing, space sim, etc.) where it makes sense to be sitting down. For first-person games, standing up and spinning around is really great. I think even just walking in place would be interesting, but maybe these cheap ODTs can take it to the next level. I'm hoping at least.

Agreed wholeheartedly. My first experience with the Rift was actually an evening using Rift + WizDish, in the Tuscany demo. Walking around that villa was really great. My own Rift arrived on Friday, and I'm actually finding Tuscany (and now HL2) to be just not that great in comparison. Movement just feels odd. I've tried sitting with mouse & keyboard, sitting with gamepad, and standing with gamepad..... but what I really want to do is get back to just walking.

Very well put. I agree wholeheartedly

[FR3D]

compared to the OMNI the WIZDISH is very very much to expensive - ( my opinion) ...

as i understood - it's just a slippery round bowl and succershoes with short spikes ....
( am i wrong ? )

I'm from germany - so i understand not everything ....


best regards FR3D

[Flassan]

Hi FR3D. No, they aren't 'succershoes '. Both the WizShoes and the WizDish took a great deal of R&D.
Thanks for asking though.

The trending site is now predicting 100%. That's all we are asking for - a chance to prove ourselves.
We're certain our backers will be delighted with what we deliver.

[Mystify]

That said, I can certainly see that there could be dangers here. Especially if you were in a game that was spinning around or doing loop-d-loops or something and you lose track of gravity.

This is a comment I see a lot, and it's a comment I really do not understand....

Why the hell are people wanting to use a walking platform to do virtual loop-the-loops?! Are you wanting to walk IRL while pretending to pilot a jet aircraft? Ride rollercoasters, or do other crazy things? It feels to me akin to criticising a bicycle trainer because it'd be terrible at simulating scuba diving. It's a device that allows you to walk around in VR. So, while In VR, that's what I want to be doing - walking around. Not racing motorcycles, or skydiving, or piloting a spacecraft; walking.

It also seems to me that future games, designed for VR from the get-go, are going to be slower paced and more "gentle" than the frenzied mania that seems commonplace in many games today. People seem to find simply exploring the environment much more compelling, and the intensity of action - unengaging on a screen - is now greatly amplified in the Rift. That slower pace is going to work in the WizDish's favour. Many people are suffering from V-sickness simply from sidestepping, for christ's sake. I don't think games where we're looping and doing triple somersaults and spinning around are even VR-suitable in the first place!

I think your gaming will end up being extremely restricted if you have to avoid doing anything ever that might disorientate someone briefly because someone decided ODTs don't need safety devices. What about games where you walk around most of the time, but get to use vehicles on occasion. Should we just cut out every vehicle? What about anything that might cause you to react to it reflexively? Should we have to avoid anything potentially startling, avoid any projectiles coming at the player? What about situations where something happens to someone just out of reach, and you instinctively lunge forward to grab them? Walking around in VR is great, but you shouldn't need to sacrifice all of these aspects to cater to no support system. Many of these reactions I would take as signs that your VR is doing things right, such that you react naturally to them, rather than react as if you are on a slippery disc.

[laast]

Hi MrGreen. I think most people would be smart enough to take sensible precautions.
The main thing is the WizDish 'does what it does' extremely well.

Don't count too much on people's smartness. When you see vids where people blast their TV screen with a simple Wiimote, everything is possible.

About WizDish, I was very interested but these vids make me think it could be a good and safe device for gaming, but without HMD. In addition with a Rift, I think honestly that it could be a bit risky, really.

[Flassan]

I can appreciate why some people are concerned about safety and they are quite right to think that way. Without some perspective I can see why this might seem like an issue so I was trying to think of a reasonable analogy. As I've said, no one who has tried it has told us they think it’s dangerous and when asked most have said they wouldn't want a frame. That doesn't mean that we don't think you should take any precautions!
The most appropriate comparison I can think of is something like a garden swing. Certainly if you are determined to be reckless you could have issues but anyone acting sensibly almost certainly wouldn't, but then that probably relates to most things. When you walk into a dark room most people slow down. You naturally adjust your behaviour according to your assessment of the situation. You are aware you are on the WizDish and cannot step off so you don't, whereas without the WizDish it can be difficult to assess how much physical room you have to move about. We are going to perform very detailed muscle usage tests because it’s important to verify that the normal operation of any device doesn't cause injury.

[shiva]

This is interesting but I don't know, it almost looks like old tech now that the virtuix omni has shown what it can do
The omni really gives the impression that we can run, jump & strafe without any problem, while the wizdish looks like an certified promise of a broken leg

[Lilwolf]

I think it's too bad this didn't get out before the Omni. I probably would have tried it before ordering the Omni.

I feel that the Omni will be safer, but I admit that it's because of watching the videos made by the creators of the Omni.

I wish we had seen more WizDish videos with people wearing a Rift, in game.

Anyway, good luck. I HOPE you get funded. More choices are always better.

[geekmaster]

Although the number of backers are really too low for accurate statistics, it was trending as a successful kickstarter campaign yesterday (117-percent of goal), but not so far today (88-percent of goal):


http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/654506511/wizdish-exercise-and-vr-omni-directional-treadmill/

With such low numbers, perhaps one additional backer today could push the trend into the success region.

Hopefully, there will be a surge of European supporters (especially those who did not get the Virtuix Omni because of high international shipping costs).

EDIT: With no new backers, trending has now fallen to 73-percent of goal.

[shiva]

We believe the WizDish is safer than many other leisure devices such as cycles, skates, trampolines and the like because you won't have any momentum, height or traffic to contend with

The only small difference is that when you skate you don't wear an HMD that's blinding you from reality.
I do a lot of sports, and I'm looking forward to the idea of running like hell in a game everytime I get ambushed, I really can't see that happening on a slippery surface with nothing to secure me and that I can't even see because of the HMD.
I've tried looking for videos where you can see people running for real on this thing but I don't think there's any

[Mystify]

As I've said, no one who has tried it has told us they think it’s dangerous and when asked most have said they wouldn't want a frame.

What virtual environment are they in? I would think that has a huge impact on things. My concerns are also not about how things work 99% of the time, which is what a short demo would illustrate, but the 1% of the time where things are more extreme and reactions are provoked. Also, from what I've seen with demoing my rift, nothing out yet provides the full level of immersion + reactions that I am concerned with.


As far as the trends go, considering that the initial spike normally accounts for a large portion of the funds, I think any naive trend will be overestimating the final result.

[geekmaster]

As far as the trends go, considering that the initial spike normally accounts for a large portion of the funds, I think any naive trend will be overestimating the final result.

There was no initial spike, because there was no "loss leader" tier for early backers. I would have bought one if the price was $179USD, but over $200 goes over a perceptual value pricepoint for many people, including me. Although cybereality did end up backing this (but not right away), he posted before the kickstarter that he could back it if it was under $200, which seems to both of us as a fair price for everybody, and perhaps a little cheaper for early backers.

As it was presented, it really missed the mark, and the early videos were lacking substantial convincing reasons to spend out hard-earned money too. And even yet, the videos do not show enough "inside the game" video to overcome (currently appropriate) FUD.

If this kickstarter fails to reach its goal, perhaps it can be restarted with an attention-grabbing early backer tier that will have people waiting in line pounding their page refresh keys. To bad that opportunity was lost on this attempt. And can a kickstarter sequel gain sufficient momentum after the prime-time premier failed to gain sufficient audience participation (and woefully inadequate media attention)?

If I was able to actually test one of these myself, and it was acceptable to my knees, I would still get one. But I have not had such an opportunity, so I cannot make such a decision at this time. If it is "almost there" on the last day, I may get one anyway, just to push it over the edge into a successful campaign. But for now, just "wait and see"...

QUESTION: Where are all the European Rifters who were whining about Virtuix Omni shipping costs making them decide to NOT support the Virtuix Omni? Why aren't they supporting this European kickstarter campaign? Do they need more convincing "WizDish inside VR" (not in a CAVE) videos too?