Kickstarter Link
Experience full virtual reality
We are in the midst of a revolution in virtual reality. The release of affordable head mounted displays and low-cost sensor technologies has brought the decades-old dream of true virtual reality closer than ever, but theres still one more piece to the puzzle: the Omni.
The Omni takes virtual reality to the next level allowing anyone to stand up and traverse virtual worlds with the natural use of their own feet. The Omni is the first virtual reality interface for moving freely and naturally in your favorite game. Moving naturally in virtual reality creates an unprecedented sense of immersion that cannot be experienced sitting down. That's why we developed the Omni.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZC2Tvhaz9n4
Stay in shape while gaming
Walk, run, jump, crouch: the Omni will keep you on your feet and in motion. Its a healthier way to game working out has never been this much fun. Our software even tracks your distance traveled and calories burned along the way.
The Omni will free gamers from passive, seated gameplay, unleashing the full potential of virtual reality gaming with the Oculus Rift and future head mounted displays. Gaming on a keyboard, mouse or gamepad while seated pales in comparison to the intense experience and fun that comes from actually running and jumping in games.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qpHWJMytx5I
In the press
Jaw-dropping virtual reality PC Gamer
Impressive and probably the single best reason to ever play Skyrim without fast travel Kotaku
Ladies and gentlemen, youre looking at the future of gaming Road To VR
If you really want that full-motion experience, what you'll need is a gaming rig that lets you walk around as well. Enter the Virtuix Omni The Escapist
Try resist throwing money at the screen Engadget
VR in every living room
The Omni is the first natural motion interface focused on consumers: it is affordable, fits in a living room, and is the only way to walk, run, jump and crouch in your favorite game.
The Omni is a fully integrated VR interface that comes with sophisticated tracking hardware and software and is ready to play, out of the box, with any game or app that uses keyboard input. The Omni is compatible with the Oculus Rift and Razer Hydra or other game controllers. That means that any game currently in development for the Oculus Rift will be ready to play with the Omni. An extensive collection of game demos is available on our website and YouTube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qvODo6E8B30
The Omni is easy to disassemble and store: the top is removable and the Omni can be stowed just like exercise equipment. The ring height and belt size are adjustable: small, tall, big or thin, everyone can use and enjoy the Omni.
The Omni comes with Omni shoes, support belt, and tracking hardware and software. Head mounted display, game controllers, and PC not included.
How does the Omni work?
The Omni is a patent pending technology resulting from two years of research, experimentation, design, and prototyping. The base of the Omni is a low-friction surface with grooves. Users wear special shoes with pins that fit into the grooves, keeping the foot stabilized and preventing unwanted lateral slide. The shoe sole has a higher friction coefficient on the toe to grant further stability and maintain balance. The result for users is a natural gait that allows for true virtual exploration and immersion.
The Omni has an outer diameter of 48" (122cm) and weighs 110lbs (50kg). The support ring height is adjustable to best accommodate a user height ranging from 4'8" to 6'5" (142cm - 195cm).
The Omni comes with a support belt that provides safety as well as support. Attached to the belt are flanges that extend over the Omni support ring to prevent the user from falling down. Vertical blockers provide lateral support. See the following unboxing video by Linus for an overview of our latest prototype:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qGFuedKS9Mg
Safety is important. The safety ring supports up to 285lbs (130kg) with a safety factor 2. The belt assembly will prevent the user from slipping and falling down.
Our software translates your movements into key strokes that drive your avatar in the game. The Omni software is compatible with the Microsoft Kinect, and will support upcoming accelerometer / magnetometer solutions. The Omni software with Kinect for Windows today recognizes walking, running, jumping, crouching, strafing and multiple arm gestures.
The Omni Rack is a supplementary accessory rack that can be attached to the support arms of the Omni. The rack has a flat surface that can hold your Rift control box, Rift or other HMD, and the Razer Hydra base station or other controllers.
Working with the VR community
The VR community has been a leading driver of recent virtual reality innovation. To thank our supporters, our Kickstarter rewards come at a significant discount to the future retail price of the Omni. We want to bring the Omni to as many VR and gaming enthusiasts as possible.
One of our first prototypes!
We have done a lot of work in the last two years. Now, we are seeking the input of Kickstarters involved and enthusiastic VR community to fully realize the worlds first consumer-focused natural VR interface.
We have included a DIY reward in our reward tiers. DIY enthusiasts can receive just the Omni base and shoes, along with detailed diagrams for constructing the upper support and belt structure. See if you can improve on our design by envisioning and building your own. We want to harness the creativity of this community to improve the Omni.
Engineering drawing of our final design
We also invite the community to help us design additional accessory racks for your Oculus Rift, Razer Hydra, controller, or other accessories and their cables. If you feel inspired, send us your designs!
Why do we need your support?
We have completed our design work and prototyping to make the Omni a reality. We have finalized manufacturing assessments. Now we are asking for your help to move to the manufacturing phase. With your funding, we can start tooling and get the Omni into production. Hardware is hard, and volume is crucial. Our goal is to get as many Omnis as we can to our supporters and to the developers that make stunning virtual worlds for us to explore.
Current status
Prototypes - We currently have two working Omni prototypes made of wood, steel, and plastic, as shown in the videos. Our prototype belt assembly is made of wood, steel and aluminum. We have several pairs of prototype shoes that have a low-friction sole and modifiable configurations.
Our first pair of prototype shoes - functionality over looks!
Our prototypes deliver the full Omni functionality and experience and have allowed us to refine and test the software, and evaluate human factors.
Software - Our software is in beta, supporting the Microsoft Kinect for Windows and upcoming accelerometer / magnetometer solutions.
Design - The design of the manufactured product will be slightly different from the prototype: the Omni platform will consist of injection molded plastic and a steel endoskeleton, with wider support arms and an extruded support ring (see below for more manufacturing details). The support belt will consist of injection molded plastic flanges, reinforced with steel. The final Omni shoes will be more stylish than our current off-the-shelf prototype shoes.
Manufacturing
We completed the manufacturing assessment phase and are ready to start the tooling engineering and manufacturing process for the Omni platform, belt, shoes and rack.
Platform - The Omni platform will consist of eight plastic injection molded segments (forming the Omni octagon), pre-assembled as two halves, and a separate center piece that unites the eight segments. The base and support arms will be reinforced with a steel endoskeleton (punch molded half disc underneath the base, off-the-shelf load bearing supports in the arms). The injection molded plastic support ring will be reinforced with tube extruded steel and will have an extruded aluminum ring door.
Engineering drawing illustrating a platform section and center part
Support belt - The support belt will consist of two injection molded plastic flanges, reinforced with steel. The waist belt and straps will be made of nylon and reinforced with an aluminum band. The belt will come in S, M, L, and XL sizes.
Shoes - The shoe sole will be plastic injection molded. The stainless steel plunger pin is off-the-shelf. We plan to use an existing upper shoe mold and have the specialized shoe sole mechanically attached to this upper shoe. This approach enables us to cover the full range of whole shoe sizes up to men's size 15.
Omni Rack - The Omni rack will be plastic injection molded.
Team
We are working with world-renowned designers, engineers, and manufacturing liaisons to realize the Omni. Studio Backs in San Francisco created a spectacular Omni design with ease of use, comfort and durability in mind. DetektDesign from Hong Kong serves as our manufacturing liaison to manage overseas production and logistics. And our dedicated shop and skilled craftsmen of Augas & Associates are ready to put years of experience with wood and metal designs to use to build your customized priority Omni.
Production road map
Phase 1: Manufacturing engineering - Scheduled completion Aug 2013
Phase 2: Tooling - Scheduled completion Nov 2013
Phase 3: Pre-production - Scheduled completion Dec 2013
Phase 4: Mass production - Scheduled start Dec 2013
Phase 5: Shipping - Scheduled start Jan 2014
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
Hardware is hard. Completing the manufacturing process will require time and resources. Delivery dates are at the mercy of unforeseen manufacturing issues. We have assembled a world-class team of designers, engineers, and manufacturing experts to keep everything on track, and we are confident we can reach our quality goals and deadlines.
With your help, we can make the Omni a reality. True immersion and exploration of virtual worlds is almost here: help us take the next step with natural motion. Prepare to explore your favorite games with your own two feet. For true VR, you need the Omni. Stand and embrace the future of gaming and virtual exploration.
Thank you to all Kickstarter VR enthusiasts for your time, support, and dedication.
