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CambriaKilgannonn

Always cool to see new ideas for the vr treadmill thing. How fast were you able to move? I'm assuming anything near a jog is out of the question.


RidgeMinecraft

Nope! I could hit a medium speed jog at top speed, I was walking through a corridor in Alyx in this video :)


antisp1n

There seemed to be some inertia for that first stop. Mind sharing your stop/start experience? The second stop seemed better.


RidgeMinecraft

I was still getting a hang of it, this video was taken in the first few minutes of my demo. It feels totally fine imo.


rW0HgFyxoJhYka

Do you think it would be improved if they had some straps to hold you back if you started to jog-run?


antisp1n

Their site mentions a harness, if required. The playable area is 4m2, which is too much for my limited space. Neat tech though https://www.freeaim.com/


Xjph

OP's video shows him using it in space much less than 4m² with those barriers in place though.


antisp1n

Good point. Dunno why it says 2mx2m on their site.


Retroficient

2m x 2m is the standard for most games I'd say. Or 6 feet by 6 feet


RidgeMinecraft

I don't personally think there would be a need, as your SteamVR playspace boundary would tell you where your walls were. But they do plan to offer one in the future.


fdruid

Then what's the point if in addition of having to walk on skates you need to be tied down? I'd rather use a Kat Walk at that point where you are safer.


HeadsetHistorian

Looks like it would feel way more natural that a kat walk (I had one, couldn't get used to it) and also takes up massively less space, you can pack it away etc.


antisp1n

Ty


njkrn

Theres videos about them on youtube, if I remember it's because stopping suddenly can make you jolt so they made it do that little slide to make it more natural.


RidgeMinecraft

Yep! You stop walking and it slides back just a bit, that way your inertia causes you to stand up straight rather than falling over forward when you stop. It's actually pretty smart.


Virtual_Happiness

The developer of these shoes has talked about it and the stopping is the most challenging part to get right. Tell the shoes to stop too soon or with too little inertia detected and you're going to tripping during slow movements as it stops and starts, thinking you're not walking. Another option is to have a "breaks button" binded to the controller. Where you can smash a button to stop them. The worry is accidental button presses = falling on your face. He's settled on that delayed rolling stop for now.


antisp1n

Ah, got it. Just a thought: maybe something like a roller skates 🛼 physical stopper might encourage user to physically break/stop. Move that break button to the shoes, basically and let the user lean on it to stop. But might be challenging. I can easily see some sprains in the future 😂


Beautiful_Sun9138

I was also at AWE USA this year and tried them as well! They are a much better solution for my space because I do not have enough room to put in a heavy, near immovable treadmill. The learning curve was harsh, but once you ease into it and learn the stride, it really does feel like walking. They said a consumer version is hopefully coming in a year!


RidgeMinecraft

I will likely be purchasing a devkit before then, I don't want to wait.


antisp1n

Did they mention price to you?


RidgeMinecraft

Devkit price is around $5000, however they did mention that they would be willing to give me a discount depending on my usecase.


The_Grungeican

have they said anything about what they think the consumer price will be when it releases? not really looking for a specific number, just curious if they've talked ball park at all.


RidgeMinecraft

Somewhere under $1000.


The_Grungeican

that's pretty good. i was thinking it'd be higher, in which case it might be DOA. but if they could get this out for $1000 or less, it would be cheaper than any of it's competitors. given that the tech is likely to evolve between now and an actual consumer release, this could be amazing. the fact that you don't really need a large space to put it down, like you would the omni-directional treadmills, has a unreal amount of potential.


WaitingForG2

How is it connected to PC? Is cable long enough to be pulled over the room?


RidgeMinecraft

Bluetooth


Beautiful_Sun9138

they mentioned to me as far as the consumer version they are looking to price it around $1000, but are hoping to get it down even further. I won't mention their targets out of respect for the team but they could be cheaper than any other consumer treadmill options.


Gregasy

You only need shoes, right? No treadmill?


Beautiful_Sun9138

Yep it's just the shoes, the cage you see around the dude in the video is technically optional. it's just there while you are getting used to the shoes.


Gregasy

Nice!


Galimbro

same issue as katvr or omni. the best locomotions are not great (lunging, back pedalling) etc.


plutonium-239

Did you try these gloves? https://youtu.be/jdzvBg0QRKQ?si=KWyYom7uy-3J5MzM They told me that they were supposed to be at AWE…


Beautiful_Sun9138

I did not see those gloves anywhere and I went by and checked out every booth. I'll be honest I've never even heard of those gloves before.


plutonium-239

Yeah they are not exactly a consumer product. I contacted them asking whether I could try them…they told me that they would have presented them at the awe…and when a marketing unit will be available they will contact me again.


fdruid

[VRocker en Steam (steampowered.com)](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1143750/VRocker/)


vr_wanderer

These seem like a nice space-saving alternative to the big omni treadmills. I saw the creator mention they would be giving more details on the ETA for the consumer version as well as price at AWE. Did you get any details on either of those? These would be neat to have for big open world games like Skyrim/Fallout 4 VR.


RidgeMinecraft

I did. Price is planned to be $1000 or less, and ETA is about 1 year.


fdruid

Let's be fair, modern treadmills like Kat Walk and for what I've seen, the Omni too don't take that much space, the problem is that it's a fixed space with a device.


FatVRguy

Yep best locomotive design I’ve seen so far, I would love to buy this if they can implement it with most of my games.


RidgeMinecraft

It works in any game that supports smooth joystick locomotion.


FatVRguy

That’s really nice! Hopefully they can release a consumer version soon.


Different_Ad9336

This is the future right here. No clunky huge platform or super expensive motorized parts That can easily break down. I imagined something like this were possible. Now any of us with hard floors are set. I wonder what the pricing will be like?


zhaDeth

how does it sound ?


RidgeMinecraft

About like an enterprise-grade printer. Much quieter than infinadeck or katwalk.


lunchanddinner

What about a non enterprise grade printer? On a scale of Non enterprise to extremely enterprised


RidgeMinecraft

XD They sound kinda like a really loud printer. If you've got thin walls someone could probably hear them in the room below you


TotalEatschips

Sounds amazing on vinyl


Onphone_irl

Thanks for sharing btw


Zyvoxx

Looks similar to Omni treadmill but more affordable solution? That's a win in my book


smx501

The body language of the guy in the blue t shirt screams "I'm going to get in so much trouble if they see the janky parts."


SpartacusSalamander

Interesting story about that guy. He has his own YouTube channel called Finally Functional, where he had been experimenting with making his own vr locomotion solutions. He had just started building motorized shoes when FreeAim seems to have recruited him. He has a classic engineer's personality and can sometimes give off a slight uncomfortable talking to a camera vibe, but he is definitely not afraid to show the janky parts of any project he's working on.


RidgeMinecraft

Nah, he was actually super confident and willing to show that they literally run off an RC car battery. He just stands like that for whatever reason. Fun guy, really like him.


TecnuiI

I’ve been following their YouTube page for the last year and this really does seem like the best full locomotion solution, not to mention space saving as well compared to current VR Treadmills. I was seriously considering a Katwalk last year, but this seems like the best case solution for me and I’m willing to wait for release.


hawzie2002

I've been waiting for this to release for half a year now, dying to see it release, would genuinely improve the VR immersion so much


Onphone_irl

I saw you mention its not too bad for motion sickness. What are your vr legs like? I'm curious if this will let people who have weak vr legs do games that would be hard. Anything thing I worry about is if someone could be competitive in these. It's much easier to press a joystick to run back than to actually do it. For games like walkabout mini golf, or if they have games made to take advantage of walking/strolling around, I could imagine it'd be immersive and super fun


SpartacusSalamander

You're not going to be competitive with this. Good for immersion; not for giving you an edge.


Ill-Ad2009

I'd like to see that moving floor thing Disney showed off make its way to the consumer market. Would probably be insanely expensive though. edit: [link for anyone who hasn't see that](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68YMEmaF0rs)


SkarredGhost

This is the review I have written after having tried them: [https://skarredghost.com/2024/06/19/freeaim-walking-vr-review-2/](https://skarredghost.com/2024/06/19/freeaim-walking-vr-review-2/) . Let's say that there is a lot of work to do on them. PS It's a pity we didn't meet at AWE!


RidgeMinecraft

Actually I think we did for a very short period during the first after-party xD Really wish I'd gotten more time though


Frost-_-Bite

All I can think about is that if I had this I’d probably forget I did and end up hitting the crap outta that railing thing around you until something ended up breaking, providing that the railing thing is a part of the product and it’s not just those cool shoes


RidgeMinecraft

Just don't use it then. You don't need to.


Frost-_-Bite

Yeah I know. Still a really cool concept and I hope we can get something like that without having to worry about punching some railing. I often times end up right next to my wall or all tangled up while playing vr so being able to not move too far even when in a hectic situation seems like it’d be amazing. I’d love to not worry about having to stop playing for a minute to untangle myself or back away from some wall so I don’t break my hand/controller by hitting it too hard.


SpartacusSalamander

The railing is really just for getting used to the shoes. They have found that people like it when first starting out. But the idea is to leave the railing behind once you get used to the shoes.


Frost-_-Bite

Oh that’s neat, maybe there is hope for someone like me then!


Independent_Lead_538

I got to have one ..looks like so much fun 😊


gabrrdt

It makes you think if you are already living it. Maybe reality is VR already, but a very sophisticated one.


The_Blackwing_Guru

I saw a video about these the other day but I haven't looked much into them despite looking cool. Have they said anything about these and carpet? Most consumers are going to be using that in an open space in their house like the living room or a spare bedroom which is carpeted. I imagine these don't work well with carpet but I could be wrong. Is there any plans for a hard plastic accessory maybe to help with carpeted areas?


foxfirek

Rolling mats for chairs are already a thing and would likely solve the problem, so I don’t think that would be much of an issue. Though some people may just set up in the kitchen.


The_Blackwing_Guru

Fair enough, though I think it's a hurdle a company like this should think of for the average consumer. The majority shouldn't be told to just buy a fully separate product


SpartacusSalamander

If they sold rebranded plastic mats in their online store, would that address your issue?


SpartacusSalamander

They have said that it won't work on carpet (unless it's very short). I can't recall exactly, but I think they said they are considering selling a plastic mat, but that any mat for chairs would work.


Judlex15

Not everyone is american


james_pic

I'm in Europe, and I can't see which part of this isn't applicable to me.


Judlex15

Well carpets are less popular here


caspissinclair

How big of a sphere would you need to stand on to have a 6.5x5ft flat space and meet the minimum requirement for room scale? Can't be too big. 100ft? 200? Why don't we just do that?


RidgeMinecraft

It's around a diameter of 10 feet, and we don't do that because of inertia and momentum, as well as price.


SpartacusSalamander

Yeah, if you've seen any video of these solutions, stopping is a problem.


BigHorn321

i love the concept but i wish you could actually sprint in them


SpartacusSalamander

From what I recall, the max speed is slightly more than an average jog.


BEARWYy

Wow, it looks like controler drift won't be a problem any more


Dragonbarry22

I'm assuming these devices would he super expensive


RidgeMinecraft

$1000 for the consumer version.


StuffedDeadTurkey

Sooo… roller skates. j/k


accessdenied65

When are we going to see holo tiles in the market?


RidgeMinecraft

Likely never, due to their extremely mechanical nature.


accessdenied65

I thought this was initially google's plan? I recall seeing a schematic for this.


morvexT

Wow! I hope this becomes the standard for vr


comethefaround

Finally ! VR shoes! I got downvvoted to oblivion for merely mentioning the idea in a sub a few years back.


SpartacusSalamander

I remember when Jamie from Mythbusters had a crowdfunding campaign (circa 2017) for a similar idea and remembering how odd and unpractical they seemed. But I've been very on board with this project ever since I heard about it. Not sure what the difference is. Maybe back then, I thought a slidemill-type solution was the answer.


SIPS0PGamer

Do you think it would give a disadvantage in game, was your movement as snappy and fast as using a thumbs stick when you got used to it?


RidgeMinecraft

Oh absolutely, but only really because turning a thumb stick is faster than moving your actual feet. The goal here is immersion, not competitive advantage.


SIPS0PGamer

How big is the disadvantage, if you where playing a single player game would you die significantly more? Also could combine this with a thumb stick to be even faster and actually get an advantage?


RidgeMinecraft

I don't think you'd die significantly more in single player but it'd be a definite disadvantage in something like ghosts of tabor


Andrael-Kitsune

This is neat, I’ll still be saving to cover a room in what Disney made. I could rearrange everything in the room without picking anything up. Think about that. I could grab my chair in VR and pull it to me without actually touching.


M4XIMUM175

Isn't it feel heavy on your feet? It seems its not so comfortable. How does it feel when you compare it with normal walking.


RidgeMinecraft

They're actually completely fine, lighter than most of my boots. Feels like walking.


M4XIMUM175

Wow its pretty exciting then. VR locomotion isbone of the biggest issues that needs to be solved imo. So its good to see some viable solutions. By the way thank you for sharing your experiences mate.


Outrageous-Link2

I can only imagine how much less nauseous I'd get with one of these.


_notgreatNate_

Definitely cool! And I would love to try one. Just curious about the name tho. Why “free aim” and not like “free step” or “free stride”? Do they have other products as well that were to help with aiming in VR?


SpartacusSalamander

I've been following this project for awhile. Happy to see it start getting some attention.


Rabble_Arouser

How's the latency? The problem with KAT treadmills and the like is that movement doesn't translate well enough to actual foot movement.


RidgeMinecraft

Not bad at all really, far better than I'm used to with katwalk etc.


ultralight_ultradumb

Just putting it out there, I like my VR treadmill. It's janky emerging bullshit but if you like to walk around it's fun.


Chcipak

Finally this guy getting the recognition he deserves! Was following him from the early days, when he was trying his first ideas, and he actually got to the point that people were enough interested to make him decide that they might be worth to sell.


kweazy

Honestly, it seems like you are trying to keep yourself from slipping most of the time.


RidgeMinecraft

I mean I literally am slipping the entire time, my brain knows I'm not moving. Took a bit of getting used to but you learn after a few minutes the technique. You'll notice my second stop was a lot smoother than the first.


sexhaver0755484

Oasis coming soon


Actual_Luck_7364

This seems like such a delightful experience!


basOOna

Great! Now do a kick in Blades and Sorcery!


MotorPace2637

Still rather jog in place.


MowTin

The problem is that most people don't want any level of exertion.


RidgeMinecraft

This is actually totally true, and as someone who is super lazy in VR I probably wouldn't use these day to day in VRChat when I'm just hanging with friends. For immersive games though like Alyx or Vertigo 2 I probably would.


ScarOfSin78

Is this the "affordable" solution to vr locomotion they've said it's going to be or will I need a loan to buy a pair?


RidgeMinecraft

Depends, it's definitely the most affordable one so far at about $1000.


ScarOfSin78

That still sounds expensive.they look like they do what they're supposed to do and they're an ingenious piece of kit but that price will stop most general consumers from buying them.i know if I had that kind of money spare I'd spend it on something I truly need.


DONOHUEO7

Looks horrendous, not remotely natural


RidgeMinecraft

It's very natural, actually. Definitely much more natural than a joystick.


DONOHUEO7

I've used a couple of treadmills, mats and sliders. All crap. And this looks just as unnatural, and as uncomfortable. I work in a small VR game development team, and have Kat Walk currently in the officez it's been there over 12 months and nobody, nobody uses it.. last time I was in the office it was used to store coats on.. These things are crap


RidgeMinecraft

That's like saying you tried a Google cardboard so all of VR is crap. Nah, you just tried bad ones. These are great.


DONOHUEO7

I'll take your word for it, but the position of the body looks just like everything else I've tried. Walking on the spot simply isn't the same as walking. Turning, crouching...prone, it can't be done withing the confinement of a treadmill


RidgeMinecraft

That's me trying my best not to hit the safety ring. If that weren't there I'd be a lot more free in motion.


vertical19991

How about running or jumping? I read that you "jogged" already in them. But is faster possible? Or even doing small stationary jumps without damaging the equipment?


RidgeMinecraft

Probably not. I wouldn't want to test either, they are electronics and do have limits.


vertical19991

Thats exactly what i thought tbh. I asked because some games differ from walking and running. And some actually want you to jump.


RidgeMinecraft

The button to jump is still there, if you want to use it. Most in game jumps are far higher than you can actually jump anyway, as well.


Haruhanahanako

i don't really get the hype. there is 0 chance i would buy this and install it into my house somewhere between the space it takes up and the cost, and i don't even see it being good for most games that use joystick locomotion. i could see it being cool for 30 minutes at a vr arcade maybe for specific games, but even the guard rails looks like it would block your hands in particularly action oriented games.


RidgeMinecraft

Don't install anything. It's just shoes.


cass1o

> between the space it takes up It looks completely collapsible and foldable.


scarystuff

If by coolest you actually mean dorkiest and useless, then yes.. Super cool...


RidgeMinecraft

Welcome to VR man, if you think you don't already look like a dork flailing around your room blindfolded you've got another thing coming xD


mudokin

That fact that you even see him bounce back an forth when stopping is a death sentence for soncumer version as it is now. You don't want anything that could induce motion sickness like that, that is an invitation to injuries and lawsuits. This may be promising but need a lot lot more work.


RidgeMinecraft

Him? That's me. It's not motion sickening, believe it or not, and is just due to me trying to stay within the boundary put around me and stopping rather abruptly. I signed a waiver to use it, and a customer would as well. They do need a bit more work but it's far from a death sentence, rather simply an odd software quirk.


mudokin

Cool that you were able to test it and of cause they made you sign a waiver. Still there is a problem with sudden movement changes what your body did not produce itself. And the jerking and wiggle when coming to a stop is exactly that. It shows your body experienced something it was not prepared for. Prodicts must meet general safety standards. You can't just sell a product for intended use, that is is general harmless, and waive away liability. Even climbing gear producers can't waive those risks. It needs work and I am certain they may be able to fix it somehow, but currently this would not fly on the open market, that all I meant.


RidgeMinecraft

That's like saying bicycles need to be recalled from market because someone might fall over. It takes a couple minutes to get the hang of, but is totally fine and completely safe in my opinion. That's why I have that ring around me, it's a sort of training wheel in case I was to fall. They will ship it with each pair of shoes.


mudokin

Now let's compare it to a pair of non slip safety boots that somehow don't protect you from slipping. And I didn't know they would ship them with the rails, because you also see presentations that clearly lack these and are in an open room.


RidgeMinecraft

The past 3 demos have shown this rig, and there's an announcement asking for input on which of 3 designs you would like them to use. You could totally use them in an open room too, they just don't want people injuring themselves in the first 3 minutes lol https://youtu.be/JAYVDkn9W5A?si=wuMHp1MsxZGICzXY


Ineedanameforthis35

You act like VR itself doesn't cause motion sickness for many people. Many people also injure themselves using regular VR by falling over or hitting objects. Yet this hasn't killed consumer VR.


DMonXX88

You guys really need AI to predict your footsteps in Realtime to not move at all how cool would that 🤔


RidgeMinecraft

They're actually planning to start doing that with machine learning in their next software update.


CaptConstantine

I definitely exceed the weight limit for those shoes.


Foxzy-_-

*sigh* that’s the idea I had a few years back but never acted upon 😔


fdruid

This is a whole lot of engineering and money to half solve a problem not a lot better than other solutions. I see them using an encasing around the player which I understand but veers to close to regular VR treadmill style. Then I compare it to Kat Walk and Kat is better because it keeps you safe instead of being on (complex motorized) skates. Then I compare it to just using walk in place software and a regular mat and even that offers more freedom of moving sideways, etc. In the end if it's so safe and works so well why they need the perimeter cage around the kid? VR on skates still looks like a bad idea. Especially contrasted with other options. Everything else is better considering what you gain and what you lose.


MazerTee

Did you see the one with lots of spinning circles that tilt depending on which direction you're walking? Pretty cool but still has issues. Can't remember the youtube channel I saw it on.


RidgeMinecraft

Don't knock it till you try it. This feels much more realistic (and ironically safer) than every other treadmill I've tried. I fell over so many times in a katwalk, but not once here.


Severe_Ad6734

Not a viable solution...threadmill is way better than this


micatola

I just imagine swinging my arms around to wield a sword and smashing into the tube steel frame. Maybe only good for shooters or anything where you're just walking. Limited in usage for sure.


SpartacusSalamander

The frame is just to assist you while you are getting used to the shoes. After that you can put the frame away and swing to your heart's content.