Despite the clear commitment of companies like Meta to virtual reality and the Metaverse, the truth is that the technology still doesn’t fully support us. Nevertheless, limitations also serve as a stimulus for creativity.
The world of VR has led companies to develop all kinds of solutions to solve the problems that it still poses, such as the lack of movement. Entering a virtual world where you can barely move your legs is still very frustrating for users. Interestingly, it has been Lanny Smoot, a researcher at Disney, who has presented a technology through Disney Parks that could put an end to this issue, called HoloTile.
HoloTile is composed of multiple round tiles, which function as a kind of “omnidirectional” treadmill. All these tiles together allow a user to walk on them without stepping off the platform.
Smoot explains in the video that by standing on HoloTile, he can walk wherever he wants without moving from the spot. And for Smoot, this technology could be used to walk within virtual reality, among other things.
Despite the multiple doubts that this technology still raises (the supported speeds, the weight, etc.), the truth is that it is a very valid bet and that perhaps, it could bring us many surprises in the near future.