Lanny Smoot, inventor at Disney Research, has presented a new solution that aims to solve the problem of bumping into walls or obstacles when walking in virtual reality. Dubbed “HoloTile Floor,” the solution involves a system made up of hundreds of small round tiles positioned next to each other. It would seem perfect to be associated with the 3D viewers that many companies are developing to move within virtual reality and the metaverse.
“I can walk on this omnidirectional floor in any direction I want“, says Smoot in a video posted on YouTube. The HoloTile floor also supports multiple people walking on it at the same time in different directions.
Since Smoot appears to move very slowly in the video, it’s not yet clear how much speed and weight the HoloTile Floor will be able to handle. Additionally, the technology appears to still be in the early stages of development, so it’s quite early to tell if and when it will be available for purchase in the future.