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Google envisions smart roller skates for walking endlessly in VR
Right now the solutions for walking through large virtual reality environments are quite limited. You're typically looking at either a 360-degree treadmill or playing in a gigantic physical space. Google, however, might have a better solution -- although we're not sure if we'd call it elegant. The company has applied for a patent on VR shoes (really, roller skates) that would let you walk anywhere in VR without bumping into a very real wall. The technology would track your feet and use motorized wheels on the footwear to bring you back to a "return zone" whenever you venture beyond a safe area. You'd avoid embarrassing collisions -- though you'd also look like a massive dork, if Google's less-than-flattering illustrations are any indication.
Spnkix motorized skates crash the final Engadget CES podcast (video)
Right in the middle of our final CES podcast, we were mildly interrupted by a man on battery-powered heels. These are Spnkix, a pair of wheel-toting heels that can be lashed to your shoes (Men sizes 6-14, Women sizes 7-15.5). You can expect to push out around 7 miles of coverage on a single charge -- depending on your weight and angle of the surface. Charging takes around 4 to 5 hours, while the battery units are removable if you reckon you'll be making an extended journey. Speeds top out at 10mph, while a wireless controller (that also takes removable batteries) allows you to manipulate the speed, while a stopper on the heel will be familiar to anyone who's roller-skated before. Spnkix Pro, seen here, will set you back $699 and they're available to buy at the source below.
Powered Shoes take virtual reality input to new level of nerdy
We can't say you're going to look like a total stud walking around in your new "Powered Shoes" virtual reality gear, but if you're like us and studliness was never an option, then why not throw all fashion to the wind and strap on a bit of VR gadgetry? The basic premise is the motorized rollerskate wheels, which allow you to stay in place while walking, and track those movements to a simulation or game. Once you get everything up and running you can blaze along at a whole 2 feet per second, which might make virtual world even more boring than this one, but it's the principle of the thing, no?[Via MAKE]
