Virtual Locomotion Interface with Ground Surface Simulation

The current study presents a new locomotion interface that allows users to engage into a life-like walking experience within virtual environments while sensing and feeling terrain’s topology such as slopes and uneven ground surfaces. The interface is composed of a turntable as walking platform within which four load sensors are embedded to track user’s walking actions. Virtual ground surface is generated by a tilting mechanism that is based on three air cylinders mounted beneath the turntable. The usage of turntable is to keep users facing the screen center all the time. Such approach is necessary where projection system do not provide surrounding visual feedback (360). The interface is proven to be simple and easy to use as demonstrated by an experimental evaluation. Such locomotion interface would be of interest to many human-scale virtual environments such as CAVE, DOME, and Display wall.