From: Ola Fosheim Groestad Subject: Re: TECH: Walking in VR? Date: Thu, 20 Jun 1996 01:19:10 +0200 Organization: Nei! Carl Mueller wrote: > If one wants a non-enclosed, non-super-tall walking machine, then > one must invent something similar to an escalator, but flat (like > those accelerated walkways in airports) and able to operate in two > dimensions (obviously the tricky part). Again, if it is to be flat, Actually, I don't think it's all that hard. Imagine a steel loop (wheel-like) covered with "ball bearings"/"rollerballs". Cover this completely with a flexible rubbertube with built in fibres for stability. Use wheels to move the bidirectional walkway. It would be expensive though, and you still have to deal with other problems. A large room with a slowly moving floor would be better. Then you would even get the feeling of running, but it would only work if the user stops every now and then (to allow for the floor to slowly move the player towards the center). Ola.