Virtual locomotion system for large-scale virtual environment

Abstract

Omni-directional locomotion systems are yet of little advantage in virtual environments (VEs) with limited large display systems, where users may experience visual-less situations when they move in a direction that is not covered by the large screen. This paper presents a new omni-directional locomotion interface based on step-in-place movement and a smart-turntable system to impart users with the ability to move freely in any direction within VEs without loosing sight of the displayed image despite its projection on a limited large screen that does not provide surrounding or 360/spl deg/ visual feedback. The novelty of the interface is that: (a) it uses a smart-turntable with embedded sensors as a walking platform that compensate users' rotations rather than their displacements; (b) no cable attachments are made to the user body; and (c) the user can make many full body rotations without loosing sight of the environment, virtually providing a surrounding display despite the use of the limited size screen.