Gadgets for the VR industry are coming in many different shapes and forms. It remains to be seen if this will be even remotely appealing to consumers. Google’s new virtual reality shoes are capable of letting users walk on forever. It is an interesting, albeit odd concept which may attract some positive attention.
VR Shoes Are the Next Big Thing
One has to commend Google for not giving up on the development of virtual reality gadgets. So far, none of these products have been remotely appealing tot he masses, primarily because most consumers couldn’t care less about virtual reality in general. Whether or not their new VR shoes patent will change that outlook, is very difficult to predict.
One of the main problems virtual reality has – and there are a few of them – is how it is not believable enough. While it has massive immersion potential, the lack of achieving anything through one’s own body simply isn’t there. This turns most experiences and games into glorified walking simulators, which is not fun by any means.
With Google’s new patent, that may soon come to change. The shoes would allow users to move around the virtual world while remaining in their own room at home. It adds a degree of “haptic movement feedback” to experiences and games, which can elevate the technology to whole new levels. Achieving that goal will as always, be a key challenge which can’t be overcome all that easily.
This patent goes by the name of Augmented and/or Virtual reality Footwear. That seems to indicate these shoes are not just suited for virtual reality, as they will also have an AR appeal. The shoe is motorized to detect when users are running out of physical space to walk around in. It is an interesting concept, albeit a niche gadget first and foremost.
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