Virtuix Omni

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Virtuix Omni
File:Virtuix Omni Skyrim (cropped).jpg
Image of Virtuix Omni in use in 2013.
Invented by Jan Goetgeluk
Launch year 2015
Company Virtuix
Website Official site
Notes
Anticipated release date 2015

Virtuix Omni is a locomotion simulator for virtual reality games and other applications currently in development by Virtuix.[1] It uses a platform to simulate the motion of walking, requiring special shoes that reduce friction. It works in conjunction with the Oculus Rift or any other head mounted display and allows gamers to walk or run within the game they are playing.[2]

In 2013, the Virtuix Omni became one of the ten biggest technology Kickstarter campaigns, raising $1.1 million in funding.[3] Since then, Virtuix has raised another $8 million from private and institutional investors.[3]

History

File:Virtuix Omni product view, profile.jpg
Virtuix Omni design from 2013.

Virtuix was founded by Jan Goetgeluk.[4] He quit his investment banking job to develop the project, investing 12 months of his time and a $200,000 personal investment to develop a prototype.[4] The prototype for the Omni used dummy shoes and Kinect software to detect movement instead of sensors that became part of the final product.[5][6] Virtuix presented the prototype of the Omni at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2013 in Los Angeles, California where it was reviewed by Engadget[7] and other electronic publications, including The Verge.[5]

Virtuix launched a Kickstarter campaign in June 2013 to raise money for manufacturing. The campaign was endorsed by Oculus Rift founder Palmer Luckey[2] and overshot its funding goal of $150,000 within three and a half hours of it being posted. The campaign raised a total of $1.1 million when it closed, making it one of the top 10 biggest technology crowdfunding campaigns at the time.[3] Goetgeluk presented the Virtuix Omni on an episode of the TV show Shark Tank in 2013, after selling approximately 3,000 units in the Kickstarter campaign.[6] He failed to obtain funding from the Sharks after asking for $2 million for 10% of the company.[6] However, Shark Tank investor and billionaire Mark Cuban invested in Virtuix after the airing of the show.[8] Virtuix has raised a total of $8 million in additional funding from institutions and private investors.[3] Investors have included 2020 Ventures, SeedInvest, Tekton Ventures, and Scout Ventures.[9] In 2016, the company tested the waters under Regulation A for a potential offering of shares to the public.[10]

The Omni presented at SXSW in 2014[11] where Virtuix founder Jan Goetgeluk also spoke on the topic of virtual reality.[12] The final version of the Virtuix Omni was presented at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.[13] It was described as "sleek" compared to its previous versions.[13] As of January 2016, the first production Omnis have begun to ship to consumers.[14]

Product overview

File:Omni Rendering.jpg
Design of the Virtuix Omni as showcased at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Omni is a locomotion simulator designed to work as a game controller and allow gamers to walk within the game environment in which they are playing.[2] It is used in tandem with Oculus Rift or other virtual reality head mounted displays and is a peripheral for a full virtual reality game setup. The surface is bowl shaped and requires special low friction shoes in order to operate it.[2] It uses inertial sensors to track a person's position, the length of their stride, and how fast they are moving.[11] The information is then sent to a computer which translates the data into the game movements.[11]

Games and peripherals

Virtuix Omni acts as a standard game controller and is designed to work with any PC game.[11] Virtuix is also developing TRAVR, a first-person shooter game as well as three additional games designed specifically for the Omni.[11][15] The Virtuix Omni has been reviewed in publications for games such as Grand Theft Auto V,[16] The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,[15] Battlefield 4,[15] and ARMA 3 among others.[17] In addition to gaming, the Virtuix Omni can be used for virtual reality applications including training and simulation, fitness, healthcare, architecture, virtual tourism, meet-ups and events. Virtuix is a sponsor of Hands Omni, a wireless glove that allows users to "feel" an object they are grabbing in virtual reality.[18] The glove is in development as of 2015 and is being developed to be used as a peripheral for the Omni.[19]

Military use

Virtuix is developing a version of the Omni for use in military simulation.[20] The military version has additional forms of movement features such as accommodating a fully combat-loaded soldier. It was first exhibited in December 2014.[21]

See also

References

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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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