Virtual reality can be an immersive experience, but it does sometimes have some limits. Google, though, has patented shoes which can break through virtual reality by making it more enveloping for consumers.
The patent, originally filed on May 9, 2018, details shoes for helping users move through virtual environments. The shoewear mentioned in Google’s filing could be motorized, with a flexible region on the bottom, and a sensor for which a computer or headset can track to create an endless movement in the virtual world.
“In a system and methods, in accordance with implementations described herein, motorized footwear may be tracked by the system as the user physically moves, for example, walking in the physical environment. The physical movement can be translated into virtual movement in the virtual environment. Motor mechanisms of the motorized footwear may be actuated, based on, for example, a detected physical position in the physical environment of the footwear,” explains Google.
Google’s patent also provides several explanations of how the motor system on board the shows would work. The motor would apparently provide power to a separate locomotion device, which can then, in turn, move a belt on the shoewear that will force movements to stop once the user enters a specific distance or breaks a boundary.
“Actuation of the motor may, in turn, actuate a locomotion device of the motorized footwear, to move the motorized footwear back in a return zone defined within the operational zone. This may allow the user to walk while remaining within a defined physical space in the physical environment,” explains Google.
Google is not the only company which is looking into changing the way consumers interact with virtual reality. There was a previous project from a research group which involved tricking the brain to solve the infinite walking program posed with VR headsets.
A group of scientists from EPFL and ETH Zurich also worked to develop thin and light VR gloves which aim to help virtual reality users touch virtual objects. Considering that current VR gloves are rather heavy, the experience looks to be very promising for consumers.
U.K. entrepreneur Mark Towner also created a cockpit-style simulator which allows consumers to swap out seats for different VR experiences.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.