From: azuma@cs.unc.edu (Ronald Azuma)
Subject: Re: TECH: treadmills
Date: 27 Jul 1993 17:25:59 -0400
Organization: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



In article <232fhj$t5k@news.u.washington.edu>
dbn%rtifs2@rtifs2.rti.org (Daniel Nissman) writes:

>To what extent are treadmills being used in VR installations?  I've
>heard of one where a person walks on a treadmill and steers using
>something akin to a set of bicycle handlebars (at UNC?).  

We used such a treadmill and also a bike as input devices (Tomorrow's
Realities at SIGGRAPH '91), but both have been retired.  The treadmill
just doesn't give a good illusion of "walking" -- it's more like
pushing some strange vehicle around.  If you don't get that feel, you
might as well just use a hand controller to point around and "fly."

I've heard of or seen other similar devices: stairmasters,
wheelchairs, suspension cables holding up a person on roller skates,
etc.

						Ron Azuma
						(azuma@cs.unc.edu)