The weird past and inevitable future of VR treadmills

Omnidirectional Treadmills are a crazy solution to VR locomotion problems and cybersickness- but the origin of these devices has been a buried secret that I excavated up from the pits of the net for this video! I tried out the only consumer available treadmill: the Kat Walk C, and became inspired to talk about the future of this unique piece of virtual reality technology. This ended up being an insane project for me, I’m sorry it took a month… :’) let me know what you think!!
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=TIMESTAMPS=
0:00 - Intro/Overview
1:44 - What is an ODT?
2:20 - The First One (US Army)
3:17 - Iwata’s Torus Treadmill
3:49 - OBDP (gotta love balls)
4:20 - Cyberwalk Project
5:17 - 2010s VR Boom
5:36 - Virtuix + Kat VR (Slide-Mills)
6:05 - Ready Player One ODT is REAL!!!
7:36 - Dive into Kat Walk C
9:09 - What the future holds
11:21 - Outro :D SUBSCRIBE!
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Kat VR's Website: www.kat-vr.com/
RESEARCH, REFERENCES, & SOURCES:
en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwik...
books.google.com/books?id=E4l...
www.infinadeck.com/blog/infin...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
www.vrlab.esys.tsukuba.ac.jp/...
dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/20...
spectrum.ieee.org/cyberwalk-g...
www.researchgate.net/publicat...

[@KATVR]

Hi there, PHIA. Thank you so much for your video well prepared with such a deep research, which shows in a special way the history of VR treadmill. It also give us a more constructive point of view to make progress! 🦾 But the same as you, as all the VR gamers who have a burning desire to explore this virtual world, it's always a pleasure to participate in this process and do all we could to shorten this distance.

[@thebush6077]

Y'all just need strafing and backwards movement and maybe a sound reduction and I'll buy it no questions asked

[@joelsmart1568]

@@thebush6077 What about crouching? I will say, I was seeing all the treadmills with full rings, and this one only has the attachment at the back, which is a huge advantage.

[@Xoxifor]

you got ratio'd by thrill...

[@colemiller2149]

Put the treadmill in shoes!

[@ImBananaElite]

Kat products feels like ass to walk in, you get lower back pain in less than 2 min. Avoid the feets sliding into bowl type of ODT, the flat ones with moving parts are the way to go.

[@ThrillSeekerVR]

Hands down the best composite of VR treadmill information out there.

[@lemon-centedsquidfoo.5600]

SIMP

[@twolace7002]

Best VR duo out there!

[@apexberserker3057]

@@lemon-centedsquidfoo.5600 or maybe they’re just friends irl that work together sometimes and compliment eachothers work as friends/ professionals. Hope you had fun using the word you just learned, kid.

[@lemon-centedgoblin268]

@@apexberserker3057 Super Indescribable Maestro People

[@rumplstiltztinkerstein]

It's ok to simp for phia

[@SadeN_0]

That "tripping on balls" joke dropped perfectly.

[@lemon-centedsquidfoo.5600]

She be Trppin Balls

[@inali_illustrates9142]

I was laughing hard after that one ngl

[@VeryRGOTI]

"dropped" ha

[@davidcarmein415]

Well done, PHIA. It was a pleasure helping you with this.

[@TheVirtualRealityShow]

Thanks, David! :) Appreciate your leading contributions to this awesome technology!

[@retropulse03]

Seriously, this is the best show about Virtual Reality, the culture, the tech, the people. As someone new to VR I haven't found anything on par in the last couple months. So happy to see a new episode. : D

[@TheVirtualRealityShow]

❤️

[@TheZorch]

And the host is an adorable sweetheart of a person. 🤗

[@Arunnejiro]

ThrillSeeker is better D:

[@TheZorch]

@@Arunnejiro What is this Heresy!?

[@retropulse03]

@@Arunnejiro I like thrillseeker, but for completely different reasons.

[@Folly_Inds]

When Sony was producing CD based camcorders in the early 2000s it knew that they were a evolutionary dead end and that eventually solid state memory would get small enough and cheap enough to use instead. However they still had to produce something to stay on the market and stay relevant with people. I view a lot of the current 3D treadmills in the same light. I don't think they're going to be the solution to the movement problem long term but are the best solution we have at the moment

[@DrJosephJorgen]

I do have to respect the 'tripping on balls' joke.

[@rigid2093]

I know youve been trippin about views lately, just know the quality of your content WILL inevitably carry you to higher levels. Youve already seen crazy numbers, especially for the size of your channel. Dont get discouraged, as VR grows you might reach heights you never thought imaginable. You and Thrill have infectious personalities and we love your genuine love for VR and the community 💙

[@marcusdamberger]

Indeed, quality content like this will propel this channel. Keep it up!

[@RyanR3STL3SS]

"Greatest love story ever told; war and technology" what a quote! Great video Phia!

[@CHEFPKR]

I love the advances this tech can bring to the market and now it just depends on the applications. I want to play Elder scrolls 6 in Native VR (not like Skyrim tacked on stuff) with a full Omni set up.

[@Gankstomper]

Hey. Can you make me a Locacaca fruit?

[@Clos93]

I dunno Skyrim VR is pretty complex when you mod tf out of it. I can actually eat food with a fork and knife, and see bites taken away, can use my actual voice to talk to NPC's and use shouts, and my weapons make contact with enemies and I can slap Nazeem in his smug ass face! 😂

[@bjornsworkshop9288]

"Far before my time... the 1990s." OOF. OUCH. OWIE. I think I just got stabbed right in my 30's.

[@thebananaman1866]

I'm only 25 and that made me feel OLD

[@mintgardener]

Lmao stinky millineals, it’s zoomer time 😎

[@richardtinsel3365]

As an elder millineal born in in the 1900s I feel so attacked right now.

[@MaisieSqueak]

It strikes me that there's really no perfect solution to this... Replacing the physical experience of motion, with something that counters intent and holds you in place, will ALWAYS feel... 'off'... Since the physical experience is literally the floor sliding away from you as you walk. It feels like it would be easier to put us in a full Matrix like state and make us dream VR than do it this way 🤣

[@R3lyk5605]

I agree, I think the best we'll get in the near future (in terms of physical immersion) will be dedicated "arenas" where you can put on a headset and explore the virtual world built on top of said arena. Otherwise, to get "full" immersion in a VR world would essentially require plugging your brain straight into the experience.

[@joaquinfraustoalfarorocco8177]

this would cost way too much but the only really viable option for the best feeling i could come up with would be like a padded exoskeleton from your feet up to your chest that would suspend the user in the air with only the feet part actually limiting your "height" from the ground, with "haptic feedback" on your steps by limiting the extent of your legs with the virtual floor as you run or take a step, obviously all this jibber jabber comes with a lot of complications and stuff but meh hahaha dreaming for a better future :v

[@Motorata661]

@@joaquinfraustoalfarorocco8177 I mean it would make sense and it would occupy the same space as a closet, but at the same time it only takes one person to get trapped inside one of them to make them scary

[@Memememe-is1yn]

Neuralink.

[@JimmyZeng]

The current problem with ODT is engineering, while as for Matrix, we don't even have the science for it yet.

[@akrasner19]

The surprisingly good Mickey Laugh absolutely blindsided me lmaoooooo

[@timbcodes]

“So let’s time travel to far back before my time…the 1990s” Oof. I felt that in my bones.

[@JetStreak202]

I believe the future of vr is gonna be insane but I also know it's gonna be so MANY YEARS until we get anything close to perfection.

[@kazeryu4834]

We will never have perfection, but what we are getting now and in the near future is really cool

[@ThatRipOff]

We're never gonna hit perfection until we get full-dive VR that hooks directly into our brain and nervous system. Which... probably ain't ever gonna happen lol.

[@naoto_865]

@@ThatRipOff considering how technology evolves, it's only a question of when.

[@harryhazza626]

Its scary tho innit.

[@staticbuilds7613]

In a few decades time I want to be piloting a space ship in full vr where I can feel the sensations and am full immersed. Could take 20 years or even 100 but we should be able tog et there one day.

[@b__tier]

Honestly the kat walk c feels way more natural than it looks. The only part that kind of sucks is the crouching and backing up/strafing but for just forward movement or turning your whole body it's freaking great.

[@baroness5829]

Neat, I appreciate the historical context for ODTs. I find the whole development of VR that's happening right now totally fascinating and I'm convinced it's gonna change the future in a big way.

[@quipsilvervr]

I love the look of the Katwalk, although I can never tell from things I've seen if it's noisey to use . I imagine it sounding kinda stompy as if you were running on a hollow frame and it looks hard to balance on. With those in mind though, I still might have to have a look at one properly one day. Good video dude, keep it up!

[@selenagamya1612]

Thrillseeker has some pretty extensive videos on the Kat Walk.

[@pdtheowl9292]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJiTdpePhZWMj6s I sounds like it gets better over time? Definitely don't wanna have an apartment above others I'd say

[@zes7215]

no such thing as noise or not, doesn't matter

[@finallyfunctional]

Great overview! Really informative. It's really exciting to see how this tech has evolved, and I'm excited to see how it continues.

[@TheVirtualRealityShow]

Thanks so much! Love what you're doing too, keep up the great innovations :D

[@finallyfunctional]

@@TheVirtualRealityShow That's great to hear! I will.

[@NobodysDarling138]

loved the evil mickey laugh you threw in there lol! you're awesome phia!

[@huzrokhayzur2197]

the omni treadmills is the VR tech that we need the most, sometime guardian, hands hitting the walls just make me want to ragequit. The immersion break is so huge ^^

[@Amelie12]

uhm deepdive should be even better

[@redjules1215]

It's been a while between videos but....this is excellent. A lot of information I've never heard before, well detailed and you included references. Top quality stuff. Thanks Phia!

[@gsgd8307]

After a week of vr whenever I started, I was literally using my hand to try and move irl

[@Mistyswirl]

Can I just add, I love the dedication to wearing the same outfit IRL that you have in VR 😂

[@SanzuRiver]

"way before my time, the 1990s." Everyone who's older than 21 is gonna feel that lol

[@gooaygar]

My heart sank......

[@mintgardener]

Lmao cope stinky millineals, it’s zoomer time 😎

[@purplemage]

Great dive into the history of ODT's seems like only yesterday when the kickstarter for KatVR started. Being an old enthusiast of VR and cyberspace in general, it's good to be reminded of how far this technology is getting. Good Job

[@ADDGAM3R]

Thank you for the great research and time you committed to this!

[@GothicDragonX]

Hi, Phia. I wasn't expecting anything this in-depth from the thumbnail. I was surprised, great job on being so informative.

[@Zoten001]

PHIA: "Ah, the greatest love story ever told, War and Technology." Me: You're not wrong.

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

This was an amazing review, thank you for putting this together Phia!

[@VRcompare]

Great video, super informative. Hopefully we see these things becoming more and more accessible to consumers as time goes on.

[@Bruce8331]

This is a great comprehensive breakdown at where we're at with ODTs. Great stuff Phia!

[@gopherchucksgamingnstuff2263]

I tell people to imagine being on a segway or hoverboard. lean into turns and prepare for stops. It helps get past the disconnect your ears are getting. Same with flight and driving sims. lean into those turns push yourself back into the seat when you floor it. Every little bit of imagination you can call upon will be very helpful. Great upload Phia! I agree, though bumpy it is an exciting future indeed.

[@Mithinco]

That was informative! There's a lot of innovation happening. Can't wait to see how VR will look like in a decade

[@DataMakesItWork]

So glad, this turned out great! So much amazing information

[@neonvoid]

Very well put together, detailed research, great presentation, congrats.

[@geefhotmail6311]

I liked your video for the sole reason that your probably the only person on the planet who made their VR character look like themselves in RL.

[@serenityconant2687]

You are my idol. Thank you for all of this information and your voice is so calming!

[@confusedbluedragon3113]

In my opinion, an omni-directional VR device that is most attractive in terms of maximizing freedom of movement would be something like a large modular hamster ball, with adjustable roller-equipped panels placed around a central ball-bearing filled base. If something like that can be made compact and easy to move around, it would be a gamechanger for VR gameplay. Though the drawback would be the available space for accommodating a human-sized hamster ball as most homes are usually space-restricted (yet an ODT would be sufficient in that regard), but for those with ample room they would be amazing! Throw in the usual wireless VR equipment for those dynamic jumping, crouching, rolling and falling movements and you're pretty much set for countless hours of fun!

[@marcusdamberger]

Thing with a giant ball like that would be it's mass. How heavy would it be? Sure, you can have rollers to make it glide much easier, but changing direction, how much force would you be applying versus the momentum of the direction it's already traveling in? Suspect it would need to be made of fiberglass, or carbon fiber to get the weight down. Aluminum at minimum I'm sure, but that's still a lot of metal. She does show someone inside a gerbil ball 1:16

[@salene6659]

this was the first of your videos I've watched, And I can honestly say, it was thoroughly enjoyable

[@Butter_Warrior99]

No joke your personality is low key, and very bubbly. Makes the video quite enjoyable.

[@jaubury]

Great video and very interesting topic, thanks Phia!

[@Quebber]

Great video Phia and one day I will get one of them because the immersion is amazing.

[@RetireandGo]

thank you for a great breakdown of these treadmills and the various generations of them . i would like to get one eventually and use it

[@cyberclaude]

Very instructive video, Loved the animated caracter of yourself. That's the first time i listen to this channel, but surely not the last. Great presentation🙂

[@Lucky-.-]

Great video! Seeing the old versions of the treadmills was very interesting

[@greenagoo]

I remember seeing stuff about these on G4 like 20 years ago. They were so janky and clickity clacky. Excited to see how this sort of technology progresses

[@asarand]

I see this going the same route as exercise equipment. It will be relatively expensive and most people will not own one. Instead, like gyms, other locations will install multiple units and make them available to the average person to be able to rent for a period of time. So, like game arcades of the '80s, you will go in pay your money to use a VR system for a specified period of time and then it will end when the time is up or you will be given an opportunity prior to that to pay more to continue.

[@MoltarTheGreat]

I'm super impressed in the amount of research you have done here. Even read the papers on it. Do you ever plan to write a thesis on Virtual Reality, i.e. attend graduate school?

[@Thepopcornator]

Very informative video! Instantly subscribed. :)

[@jacocoetzee6429]

I may not be a engineer but the Balls may be the best option for consumers to have a full sprint and walk experience hear me out, as a sphere you have true 360 degree movement, with some sensors to calculate rotation and speed for the input you can have a full IRL walking experience granted it has rubberized spheres for better grip

[@oserus999]

I will love seeing what comes in the future for these devices.

[@fencingfireferret1188]

Can't believe I haven't stumbled upon your channel yet. Subbed!

[@kikiza123]

this made me so excited, im planning on treating myself to my first VR headset for christmas this year, and can't wait for a few years down the line when this tech is more polished. i would totally invest in a treadmill like this, and honestly i dont even think 1500$ is that bad!

[@zasmit5232]

Great video as always! Love the content! 3:50 ODBP**

[@nredsa]

great video! i've been using my KAT C for a couple weeks now. It completely gets rid of any motion sickness and lets me get some exercise in at the same time. Putting this right up there with a haptic vest for immersion. just bring a fan or two and wear a headband. you're going to sweat!

[@user-mn8lz7gf6d]

the "war and technology" joke was 10/10 chefs kiss

[@apollodanoob671]

Yet another great vid about vr

[@ericslingerland5472]

Great information. haddnt seen your channel before but i recognized you from some of Thrills videos. for anyone interested in the infinideck, the most recent info we have is from a November 5th, 2020 interview. In it they talk about introducing a smaller, lighter, and faster consumer product soon. of course 'soon is up for interpretation, since they also say short term they plan on focusing on enterprise, mid term is the consumer product, and long term getting it in households all over the world. normal corporate stuff.

[@SBTfso]

Incredibly well-done video!

[@hory-portier]

"The ninety-ninteties >:(" at 2:18 That was the most omnious sounding and looking mention of those times I've ever encountered. I want to get a gif out of it.

[@0Arcoverde]

Instant sub, nice vid, great quick review on the product and we'll researched topic

[@tornadotaylor8956]

honestly, these are super useful, I broke my TV a few weeks after getting my vr bc of superhot where you need to move around alot, and got way to close to it,

[@kota_bear7174]

I absolutely adore how you have true same jumpsuit in real life ❤️

[@charlx8979]

“Far before my time” WAY TO MAKE ME FEEL SO SO OLD

[@miawings9862]

"Gotta love the balls"- Phia, february 16th, 2022

[@michaelgrimes7426]

Best VR explanation we got so far.

[@PremortalVR]

Very informative and fun video! I hope VR treadmills become more compact and easy to use in the future. Our game PREMORTAL will be much more fun if players can actually walk and explore the vast worlds.

[@gwen.mp4]

I was waiting for this vidéo!

[@kentrush1547]

I appreciate the inclusion of sources!!!

[@Legrandvizirdumetavrse]

It was really interesting !

[@NovaArk28]

You are amazing!!! Thanks for the info

[@AMomentOfSatori]

Great video!

[@Goodsdogs]

Awesome video !!!

[@AbbySTWrites]

I remember visiting one of these places in high school, our computing teacher brought us on a field trip there and it was a pretty fantastic thing. It was pretty ...iffy back in 2005, but.

[@nightfr09]

I'm going to forever call my vrmotion sickness Cybersickness now. Holyshit that's such a cool term please keep using it. It NEEDS to be mainstream

[@naomy1701]

such an interesting tech piece, definitly could bring VR to the next level, just liek full body did years ago ^^

[@ShiroNekoDen]

Who needs locomotion when the fulldive revolution gives vr the kick in the ass it needs.

[@zaglerelkaz]

honestly quite incredible.

[@ridley2172]

This is the kind of technology id buy when it's not only consumer friendly but nearly perfected as well so I can enjoy having one not one like a kat walk which seems very prototypish fir a consumer to even buy

[@Fixer_Su3ana]

Low tech, low budget version = a patch of a low friction surface such as ice, oil, or polished wax.

[@Fixer_Su3ana]

Slightly more money = a bicycle seat on a bar stool base at just the right height that your feet do not touch the ground.

[@pixelfairy]

My low budget version is a climbing harness on a swivel mount. was $100 usd in parts. No slip, just stomp. Works well, but can't crouch all the way. You have to duck to go into sneak mode. For motion tracking I've used Natural Locomotion and Kat Loco S. NaLo has a smoother feel to it.

[@stcredzero]

Phia looks like her avatar! Also, she's got that cute energy that Mara from Tron Uprising has! Gives me a smile!

[@mintgardener]

Damn y’a you’re right

[@spiwolf6998]

Most people in VR just dress as an adorable anime character. Phia actually is an adorable anime character in real life.

[@meowkyun6269]

Why does nobody ever mention FreeAim VR shoes?? I know they aren't available at a consumer level yet but they are an insane concept and I was really hoping to see them on here with how many different concepts you were mentioning. While they are shoes, they technically are also an ODT because it has two sets of treadmills built in. I am shocked none of the major VR channels have covered them yet..

[@averybonnis1089]

I feel bad for future generations, cuz we were all alive before vr was really a reasonable thing to won, so when we got ours it was a weird but amazing experience. But in like 20 years VR will probobly be so common that every kid will either get one while theyre still young or play their friends VR and it will be so natural from that young age that they will miss out on that same experience that we all got

[@timbomb374]

best I have is strapping 2 switch joycons to my ankles and using a program to convert my stepping in place into forward movement. it's actually a lot nicer on my knees than just standing there in place.

[@galacticc6834]

That mickey laugh made me want drink something just so I could spit it out.

[@rogercruz1547]

2:04 "G&G CM16 Rider-S" great gun, light weight, works great with 0.28g BBs... only downside is it's hard to open tray to adjust the hop-up.

[@cristianpredescu7557]

This is one of the funniest line I’ve ever heard 2:28

[@screenrec]

Excellent 👍

[@dudeuncool8037]

You know what, we need a YTP of the US army flirting VR headsets now. That idea is stuck in my head now

[@ShikamaruXT]

The ball bearing versions are very promising. I hope this comes to the market soon.

[@lemon-centedsquidfoo.5600]

Do you guys know for sure when the Tundra Trackers will realese this month?

[@a.williams3037]

As someone who works at a Conveyor Company, this shit is the stuff of nightmares when directly compared to Product transportation or material handling. Crazy to even wrap my head around how I'd model a Conveyor that can move in two directions, much less any direction barring up.

[@outcast4087]

I have a story in work that focuses on an international organisation fighting monsters coming from another dimension through Rifts. Long story short, during training of monster hunters, they use VR to simulate potential encounters with monsters. Moreover, during missions, hunters wear special trackers that record all movement, alongside with a camera, which is all later downloaded into database and used for analysing and studying better fighting techniques, as well as simulating monster behaviour and attacks more accurately. It goes without saying that all movement in VR is done not via controllers, but treadmills instead, because it's supposed to be actual physical training, not entertainment. Best thing about this entire situation is that because this organisation heavily relies on VR training (the military can still train efficiently, since they are training to fight other people, whereas the monster hunters are fighting monsters, which are too dangerous to train on), it donates tons of money into VR research and development, to make it as immersive as possible. And thanks to that, the VR industry got a massive headstart, which lead 2023 VR experience to look and feel like 2033 (roughly). Graphics and physics are basically on par with typical computer games, and the most advanced sets and systems even support settings equal to AAA games!

[@francegamer]

I feel like It takes more than it really gives, you can't really lie down, jump and stab a down enemy or do a good couple things, especially with the current cost I don't think its gonna become mainstream in the vr community, at least not for a while.

[@foto19881]

Really interesting video, did you find any information in your research if some companys plan to tether through the cable to the headset? I´m cable bound and it would be amazing if you could freely turn inside those treadmills.

[@llaffer]

Phia: "Let's go back to before my time, the 1990's" (negative expression on her face) Me: Preparing for my 30-year high school reunion. So, you can do the math :) lol

[@skjonas]

Another path is vr shoes, which I’m starting to think is a viable option. FreeAim VR has an intriguing prototype. Ekto One is currently business-focused, but aims to go consumer. Finally Functional is a really cool channel documenting one guy’s development process.

[@GiskardRevenlov]

"Far before my time, the 1990s" Well great now I feel old