Cyberinth launches Kickstarter for VR treadmill that lets you sit down

  • Lets you walk, run, crouch and jump up in the air
  • Lets you sit down
  • No special shoes required — just socks

Cyberinth Virtualizer launched its Kickstarter campaign today and is already a quarter of the day towards its $250,000 goal.

A basic version of its product, which allows users to run, walk, jump and crouch while using virtual reality headsets, is available for $700 via pre-order from the Kickstarter, but fewer than 100 units are left at that price level. Shipping is tentatively scheduled for March 2015.

(Image courtesy Cyberinth Virtualizer.)
(Image courtesy Cyberinth Virtualizer.)

The Cyberinth uses a flat plate, instead of the curved bowl shape of its closest competitor, the Virtuix Omni. The plate is covered with a frictionless surface and doesn’t require any special shoes — just socks. According to the company, this allows or an extremely natural motion and can support running speeds of more than 9 miles an hour.

In addition, the central ring that keeps the user from falling over it not at a fixed height, as in the Virtuix Omni, but moves up and down. This allows for both jumping and crouching.

Next, the Cyberinth Virtualizer allows users to actually sit down while using it, a valuable feature for social environments, games with vehicles, and meetings and presentations.

Finally, the device incorporates haptic feedback for those games that support it. For example, if a bomb explodes nearby, the user will feel the earth shake through their feet.

It also comes with an add-on arm that keeps headset cables up and out of the way.

 

 

 

Maria Korolov