Virtuix Demonstrates Self-adjustment Capabilities of Omni VR Treadmill (video)

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Jan 15, 2015

From the get-go, the Virtuix Omni VR treadmill was designed to be both adjustable and collapsible, allowing it to work for users of different heights and be stowed away out of sight. For the first time at CES 2015, Virtuix showed off the production version of the Omni and how easy it is for a single user to get up and running.

See Also: Virtuix CEO Talks Production-ready Omni, Shipping Expected in March (video)

We’ve been following the Virtuix Omni since its highly successful Kickstarter raised more than seven times its goal back in July, 2013. Since then we’d seen the prototype on numerous occasions. The prototype, however, was set to a single height, so we were never able to see the height-adjustment function for ourselves. At CES 2015, the company revealed their production unit and showed us how easy it is to step into the VR treadmill and get ready to run.

Starting by connecting the foot tracking pods to the shoes, users step into the Omni, close the ring opening, and fit the harness with a single waist buckle and two straps around the legs. With your feet, you can easily unhook two levers that lock the Omni’s waist ring into place. From there, some sturdy metal handles on the ring allow you to raise or lower the apparatus. Once you’re happy, line up the holes and press the foot levers to lock it into place. The height settings are numbered, making it easy to remember which one suits you best.

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I got to test the production Omni for myself at CES 2015; being able to select a suitable height made for a more comfortable experience than when I’d tried the fixed-height prototype in the past. The new harness is also more padded and comfortable. A full hands-on article from my time sprinting around in VR with the Virtuix Omni is coming soon.

OculusRiftRocks

for the full hands-on artical will you be able to explain if continuous strafing works that well, and if you can move around in a circle as you would by rotating the left analogue stick on a controller.

do you know how deep the omni base is, excluding the footplate, website says 47″ deep but that includes the footplate, hoping to hide the footplate under the bed.
Roy

“how easy it is for a single user to get up and running.”

Does it though? I can just imagine getting into the thing THEN remembering I need my Rift THEN remembering I need my controller – which this guy gets handed to him. Obviously something that you remember to sort out before hand once you’ve forgotten a couple of times :)

It’s not obviously from the videos, or product description, but are they including some kind of mechanism for holding the cable out the way?

Also Have they managed to extend the rift cables? I know Oculus don’t advise it but there’s obviously no physical reason why you can’t connect an HDMI and USB extension – even getting the camera cable to the sync box must be possible given the correct connectors.

To me, from that video, it’s apparent that some kind of holder for controllers (possibly just hooks on the legs) could be handy as additional components.
- Ben Lang
  
  Good point about the gun and/or controller or Rift. As far as I know, they don’t have an official cable solution. They do however have a little holder/shelf for controllers and stuff. A bit about that there:
  
  http://www.virtuix.com/omni-rack-production-ces/
  - OculusRiftRocks
    
    they are making a boom stand for pre-order next month.
    
    more information in this forum thread.
    
    http://forum.virtuix.com/discussion/2152/oculus-rift-wire-holder#latest
    - pittsburghjoe
      
      I hope some of you guys plan to research how to extend the rift. http://www.reddit.com/r/oculus/comments/2c6xdx/long_dk2_cable_runs/
pittsburghjoe

This looks awesome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK4V4JR4fgs&list=UUfDQnpobTJ0Nsaz9T41hLuQ%3Fautoplay%3D1

2.0 maybe?
sponge101

Can’t wait to read your hands-on review. Finally convinced myself to pull the trigger on the Omni. For anyone who’s getting one, don’t forget the coupon code; 50 bucks off the price.
- pittsburghjoe
  
  you must not have heard of this beforehand http://cyberith.com/product/
  - OculusRiftRocks
    
    A word of warning the cyberith virtualiser has a much larger footprint, you can’t just tuck it away in the corner, as you need 32″ clearance from the base to the end of the 3 pillars.
    
    also I belive it takes 10 minutes to build/dismantle the unit, so if you can imagine.
    
    10 minutes setup
    40 minute game
    10 minute dismantle.
    
    doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, with the omni I would at least keep it permanently in my room as it does not take up that much space, provided I hide the extension plate underneath my bed.
    - pittsburghjoe
      
      If your only argument is being able to collapse it ..blah. I’d gladly waste the space to have great gameplay ready to go and just leave it up.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        It isn’t my only ‘argument’, my other ‘point’ was the floor space is of major concern for most people, as they simply do not have the room to keep something that large in their living space where they play games on their PC.
        
        something that big would be for master bedrooms or living rooms only, that rules out a lot of people that would want this kind of thing, most people have their gaming PC’s in a standard bedroom size or study room, not a living room.
        
        even in his setup video he is using a large living room, and when setup the living room’s space is clearly compromised significantly.
        
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoUppWwnH1s
        
        the only other option would be to put in in your bedroom or study where most peoples PCs are currently and take furniture out of the room, which is what I’m guessing most people would do if they had the choice between the two, or better yet just get the omni ;)
  - sponge101
    
    I was well aware of the Cyberith. In fact I’ve been reading up on it for the past few months now, along with the Omni. Until someone tests both devices and provide a comprehensive comparison between the two, it’s difficult to say which one is better or worse — from an actual hands-on experience and not just an observation opinion.
    My final decision to buy the Omni is based on there’s more public info on the Omni (final price, fixed release date, February price increase, etc.) and my own preference for some of the features of the Omni (running on shoes). More lateral jumping and the ability to kneel and squat in the Cyberith is awesome and I wish Omni version 2 will have those features.
    For those who can wait for the Cyberith, please share your experience once you get it.
    - OculusRiftRocks
      
      good post.
      
      the only other things to consider are
      
      the gait of the omni seems better than the virtualiser, the virtualiser is more like a ‘shuffle’ and the gait is like you are pushing a shopping trolly.
      
      howevr in the virtualisers favour
      
      the ground is flat, wheras with the omni is it concave, which I think is most defenetaly not ideal, however it’s hard to access the impact without reviews.
      
      the virtualiser is also quiet and requires no shoes, and if its important to you many people can try it out, whereas the omni only 1 person can try it out unless you buy special shoes for every shoe size.
      - sponge101
        
        Excellent points.
        
        Hopefully, someone will post a comprehensive video review soon after the release of the Omni. And if no one does, I’ll do it.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        only problem is we need to buy this month and take the risk before reviews are out, otherwise the price increases by 40% in february.
      - Tony Spaniels
        
        About the concave design of the base of the Omni, I remember reading from someone on the Virtuix forums who had tried it and they remarked on how that actually helped soften leg impacts when you run.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        it should make it easier when putting your foot down, as there is less shock to your feet, then it glides back down, its been compared to more like ice skating than running, it most certainly is not like running IRL.
        
        only thing is stuff like standing still might be a bit weird, as you’d kindof be standing on uneven ground, might feel odd.
- sponge101
  
  I’ll be lying if I said February price increase didn’t influence my decision to buy the Omni. For those who do buy on February onward, the 50 dollar coupon does help a little (not sure if it will still be in effect by then though).
  
  As far as buying before reviews, I’ve been following the Omni (and Cyberith, not to mention Oculus CV1) for so long I’m willing to take the risks of being first if it means being fully immersed in game worlds (specifically in Fallout).
  - kijutsu
    
    As someone who’s seen the Cyberith first hand I can tell you about 2 problems that it has that no one seem to talk about/aware about.
    
    It’s unstable! When you run on it it bounces off the ground(I’m talking cm, not mm) and the pillars wobble. During the demonstration they’d run as little as possible.
    
    It seems that not all socks work on it equally, people were given thick wool socks before they get on.
    
    Both Cyberith and Omni aren’t perfect, but I doubt any ODT ever will be.
    - sponge101
      
      I did notice in many of Cyberith videos not much running/sprinting happened. I wasn’t sure if it was a stability issue though.
      
      Speaking of stability, a representative of Omni stated during an interview that the purpose of the extended platform on the final Omni is for the purpose of keeping the Omni stable during running. Comparing an old video Omni to the latest video does seem to show the final Omni being much more stable; which is good news for those of us who are more on the heavy side.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        that seems odd though, why not simply add weights to the omni base to keep it stable instead of making its footprint even larger?
        
        I still think later down the line they could release mini omni for people 5 9 and under, this will be much smaller footprint due to smaller stride and have no external footplate, I would guess 36″x30″ size, this would be perfect for flats and about 60% of customers.
        
        obviously the omni catering for the large and overweight people has made the item a bit larger and heavier duty than it needs to be at least half their customers.
    - OculusRiftRocks
      
      thank you for that information, yes I did hear people got rented socks during demonstratins and I couldn’t understand why, I thought ‘you need special socks?’ but now I understand.
      
      yes I did wonder aboout the stability, for example in virtualiser isn’t your torso basically linked to the harness, and the harnes follows your vertical motion, I remember seeing a balerina on the virtualiser which seemed cool, but anyway I can imagine that being….very…well…. potentially prone to issues, whereas with omni the harness is just a safety thing which seems the better idea, yes you don’t get crouching in that case but I’m not sure if I want to crouch IRL anyway.
      
      well on pillars wobbiling that can be saolved easily by adding weights to them.
- leoburton
  
  Whats the coupon code? Thanks
  - sponge101
    
    FullVR
    - leoburton
      
      Thanks dude. I just took the plunge and pre-ordered! $450 is a good deal. Lets hope shipping isn’t too expensive to UK.
      - sponge101
        
        Not as good a deal as those lucky early Kickstarter backers; their price tag is $350, not including the coupon.
        
        Glad to hear the code works in the U.K. Speaking of “FullVR,” You (and anyone else still reading this article) might want to take a look at the Kor-Fx. Don’t know how well it will work with the Omni, but the concept in intriguing.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        Kor-fx seems cool, would have expected more coverage on it by now, for years now the FPS vest has been going so it’s nothing completely new, I have tried base shakers before but they get annoying as they only use sound to trigger the shakes, so any game with music will thump your chest like your in a dance club given musics ability to have a deep and louder base than real world sound effects in games.
        
        but honestly I don’t know, there is 1 or 2 very positive reviews on the kor-fx already so it may be good, or it may only work with games that hardly use music like CoD, it’s likely I will buy one towards the end of the year to see what it’s like.
      - sponge101
        
        The funny thing is mine is coming in the mail in a few hours. I read about the Kor-Fx a few months ago but remembered it when I bought the Omni and imaging my future VR setup (Omni, Oculus, gun peripheral, etc.).
        
        If anyone is interested, i’ll post a quick review a few days after testing it.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        that would be great, putting it in this artical comments seems fine to me, its pracitlly almost like an accesory for the omni really.
        
        don’t forget striker-vr, they will have a true kickback recoil system some time in the near future as well.
      - sponge101
        
        On the issue of gun peripheral, and specifically about the Striker-vr, I’ll reiterate what I said when the video demo came out months ago.
        
        First, it needs buttons. PC programmable buttons (like xpadder). I can’t imagine playing in VR with games like Fallout or other FPS without buttons on the gun.
        
        Second, it needs to be without wires. I know the battery will die quick with this thing, but VR and wires don’t get along very well.
        
        We’ll see what the kickstarter/final product looks like but hopefully they’ll adopt some feedback suggestions.
        
        With all that being said, my plan is to use the Sony Sharpshooter with the navigation and move controller combo. There’s buttons (a lot), slight vibration (because of move), and it’s programmable on the PC. Of course there’s no gun tracking and the kickback isn’t as realistic as the Striker-vr, but it’s the best setup I can think of right now. It sure beats the hell out of that Cabella gun Virtuix has been using.
      - sponge101
        
        Before someone mentions the Delta Six, I’m NOT spending $350 for a plastic gun!
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        I did a mock up design of where buttons would be on striker-vrs handgun, I sent it do them as well.
        
        http://i.imgur.com/xpqCDf7.jpg
        
        I assume they will add buttons to their product, it wont be difficult to do so.
        
        wires will be a must unfortunately, they need it for the recoil ,portable batteries simply wond have the powe, I had a topgun 3 controller so I kindof know how well batteries work, you pretty much have to use non-rechargable ones as well as the rechargable ones lack power.
        
        having the wire is not a big deal, the rift itself has a wire,both wires can simply travel up the boom stand together
        
        don’t use the sharpshooter, it has hardly any buttons, I can only see the D-pad alone as workable buttons, very poor, use the MAG II instead, it has much better button placement, with the MAG II you basically have 4 face buttons to your right thumb which makes games playable, there are also bumpers and triggers for both left and right hand, there is a d-pad you can use as a second set of face buttons.
        
        for the controller that is what I would try if you want to hold something like a gun, however it would be best to use the dualshock 4 controller with DS4Windows, in this case you get 8 face buttons as you could use the D-pad as a second set of face buttons, two great triggers, and a pointer pad that can be used as a mouse pointer for games that are expecting mouse inputs for menus or what have you.
      - sponge101
        
        Nice concept design. If it’s wired in the final version then I guess many of us are going to look like Ghostbusters.
        
        The reason why I went with the Sharpshooter+Nav+Move combo is, for one I already have it and am familiar with its function and programming (playing Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition on PS3 was awesome!). However, some people may prefer the handling and features of the Mag II or another gun peripheral. Apple or oranges — your preference.
        
        As far as gamepad goes, I’ve been using the Duel shock 3 controller for years on my PC and love it. I can map buttons to it and it has never let me down in any games (even RTS is playable… for me that is). I tried the DS4 controller and… eh… I prefer the duel shock 3 and its handling. I might be in the minority about this but, again, personal preference. I know Oculus has been having heated internal debates about this on whether game pad is a good VR input. For me and the games I want to play, it works well enough.
      - leoburton
        
        Yes, I have the Kor-FX already, and I LOVE IT! I got it as a kickstarter backer.
        It has a few quirks (like it sometimes randomly starts saying ‘on, on, on’, but overall 5mins into my first game of BF4, I was giggling like a schoolgirl.
        It is much more immersive with it on. I won’t play without it now. It does something to your brain!
        It could do with a few upgrades, but overall as a 1st product its awesome. Haters gonna hate, but I can’t wait to use it with the Omni, and my DIY RIFT.
        
        Regarding the Delta Six, there’s a lot of unhappy customers on the kickstarter page. Lots of delays in shipping, and quality control.
        I nearly backed it, as it is cool, but it was too rich for what it is. Striker VR hopefully will introduce kickback guns at a more reasonable price.
        I have the same gun as the Omni guys. It works fine.
        
        As for tracking, lets see what comes down the pipe like STEM or such.
        I can’t wait for the first proper VR full FPS, with BF4 level graphics and multiplayer.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        but don’t games with a soundtrack get in the way of the experience, for example, when playing mirrors edge when you enter combat there is music with heavy bass in it, doens’t it get really sickening when stuff like that happens?
        
        I did have a bass shaker attached to my seat, when playing metal gear solid whenever I got detected the shaker went a bit too crazy due to its bassy soundtrack, it just seemed to me like every game with music suffered quite a bit, however CoD was kindof cool given it had no music and just had sound effects of explosions.
        
        according to reviews no one is using the delta six’s tracking or its ‘recoil’ which is basically just a rumble pack apparently, so its basically just a controller, like a MAG II only 3x more expensive with really bad button placement on the right hand (lol @ side face buttons with your thumb)
      - leoburton
        
        Yes, that is the case. It is just an audio signal. It might not be great for all games. You can adjust the sensitivity though.
        
        Great with BF/COD games. Racing games, Feeling the engine of the car. Fighting games are good as well. Alien Isolation was pretty intense with the vest on. `
        
        Not sure how it would work with Mirrors Edge, (I’ve not played it). Or games like Watch Dogs etc.. I haven’t tried them.
        
        But for FPS, I absolutely love the Kor-FX vest!
      - sponge101
        
        It looks like mine is delayed until tomorrow… UPS… can’t trust them…
        
        Anyhow, have you tried using the Kor-Fx for applications besides gaming? Such as watching movies or just regular t.v.? I’ve even heard it being used for listening to music and that experience was greatly enhanced.
        
        The origin story is pretty interesting. The creator is a professor who’s not a gamer but got the inspiration for the Kor-Fx from hearing loud, rumbling audio from gamers playing near the university. Irony at its best.
      - sponge101
        
        A recommendation: Watch “Saving Private Ryan” opening battle sequence with and without the Kor-Fx and see how impactful/significant the vest is to the experience. That’s the first thing I’m going to test when it arrives.
      - leoburton
        
        Yes, I’ve watched movies with it (Saving Private Ryan is awesome with it!)
        So is the Star Wars trailer.
        Listening to music through wireless headphones is also great, as is playing the electric guitar and getting the feed out of the amp!
        
        All round, I’m very very happy with it. (Does have some annoying issues like not turning off sometimes) Some people are grumbling “Its not 360 immersion”, but the sensation on your chest is all you need. Your brain fools you for the rest of it.
        
        (That being said a kickback gun controller would be nice too)
        
        Also, if it was 360, you wouldn’t be able to sit back in a chair. It would be pressing into your back.
      - nightlhlawk
        
        I’ve been trying to look around for reviews on the KOR-FX and have been seeing mixed reviews.
        
        I’m trying to look for something to create more immersion when I receive my Virtuix Omni this year and stumbled onto this. I was wondering about the headset you’re using since I believe you need an AUX compatible headset. I have a wireless Logitech G930 and would like to use that, if possible, if I do decide to pick up a KOR-FX.
        
        Thanks.
      - leoburton
        
        @nightlhawk
        I’m using the Turtle Beach PX4. Works great for me.
        
        I know there are mixed feelings about the Kor-FX. I can see why.
        But I love it, despite little issues.
      - nightlhlawk
        
        @leoburton
        
        Would I not be able to use my G930 headset?
        
        I’ve also been told that they are working on a second version of the Kor-FX. Have you heard about this?
      - leoburton
        
        Can’t comment on that one, Im sorry. I don’t know that headset.
        
        They probably are working on version 2. There are things that can be improved. I will see what they come up with.
      - nightlhlawk
        
        The Logitech G930 is a wireless USB headset. It doesn’t use a control box or whatever the headset you have uses.
      - sponge101
        
        Got my Kor-Fx and been testing it since yesterday (delivery was way late in the evening). Here’s my quick impression of it: I love it like leoburton. However, there are some issues with it.
        
        Pros:
        -Immersion. I played some FPS and flight sim and the tension was retched up a level. When firing a bullet or firing a missile, the rumble from the vest and controller do add to the experience.
        -It’s fairly comfortable to wear. After a while, you’ll forget it there (wear a shirt).
        -It’s wireless. The vest and station is powered by four AA each (the station can also be usb powered) so using it with the Omni should be hassle free. Make sure to get rechargeable AA.
        -The vest has numerous sound settings but, to be honest, I really couldn’t tell a difference between them. The tutorial video did say they were subtle, so maybe I need to play longer or they’re too subtle. Regardless, it’s nice that they’re there (you feel like a badass changing them during playing).
        -It’s well made and looks cool.
        -If you’re a girl, yes, you can use it. There are tutorial videos of a girl using it.
        
        Cons:
        -Tweaking. Every game is different so you’ll have to adjust the volume of the vest and sound settings of the game to how you like it.
        -Sound leakage. These were meant to be used with headphones because otherwise you’ll hear mumbling sounds from the vest. Not as bad at lower volume though.
        -They do impede some movement of your arms, not much though. I’m only mentioning this because I’m going to use this with the Omni whereas if your playing traditional games it won’t really matter.
        -The vest only takes AA so if you don’t have some laying around, you’ll have to get some. Again, get rechargeable.
        -No rumble in the back. Maybe it’ll be added in V2.
        -$150… a bit steep.
        
        Conclusion:
        Is the vest worth it? it depends on what kind of gamer you are. For traditional gaming this vest will add immersion to the experience. For VR gaming, I think it’s going to be an excellent addon. Until the Omni is released however, it’s hard to tell how well Kor-Fx will add to the overall experience, since you’re running and not stationary. If you can swallow the price tag, and you want to try something new for gaming, I would recommend the vest.
      - nightlhlawk
        
        Thank you for the detailed review, sponge101, I appreciate it.
        
        What headset are you using with it?
      - sponge101
        
        SteelSeries H. There are other quality headsets out there.
        
        I’m not an audio expert either so I don’t know how to make the Kor-Fx work with your G930 which doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio in jack. How the vest works is a 3.5mm cable is plugged from pc (or console or whatever) and then plugged into the Kor-Fx station. Then another 3.5mm cable is connected from the station to a headset. Since my headset has a station with a 3.5mm in jack I’m able to plug the cable into that and that’s how I maintain wireless freedom. If you want to see it in video form, search Kor-Fx/start. It might answer and other questions you might have about the vest.
      - OculusRiftRocks
        
        yes thanks on the review, I take it you can then plug that 3.5mm from control box to a set of normal speakers as well?
        
        honestly I do hate headphones, I know the sound qauilty is amazing but it feels too unrealistic to me, like the sound is coming from headphones as opposed to the world.
        
        hopefully they can lower the noise of the vest then in that case.
        
        what do you plan to in the omni in regards to wireless audio for your headphones, I did look into that a little bit myself, I guess the best thing to do is wait for CV1 for that one, I’m assuming sound is traveling via USB on the CV1?
        
        CV1 having built in headphones with what I can assuming is USB audio has helped things quite a bit for the ODT people.
      - sponge101
        
        I’ve always preferred headphones so I don’t have any speakers to test the audio out cable on. Maybe leoburton is better able to answer that.
        
        With respect to audio/sound and VR, and specifically CV1, Oculus has stated in interviews that positional audio is what they’re aiming for with CV1. The problem with this is new games and developers will have to create games with positional audio from the start. I’m sure it will be amazing, but the games I want to play (Fallout, Skyrim, COD, etc.) won’t have that so I’ll stick with what I have now which is Dolby Live, which sounds pretty good. Moreover, Oculus stated that CV1 headphones are detachable, so I’ll just remove them, disable audio from CV1, and use my wireless headset. That’s the plan anyway.
      - sponge101
        
        Correction: Oculus has never actually stated that CV1 will have removable headphones. Only the Crescent Bay prototype has removable headphones and that it remains a possibility for CV1.
        
        If the headphones are fixed then I guess when mine comes it’ll be hammertime…
      - nightlhlawk
        
        Thanks again for the information. Looks like I’ll be in the market for a new headset if I decide to grab the Kor-FX.
      - leoburton
        
        Glad you like the Kor FX @Sponge101
        I agree about the few issues, but I can give those things a pass coming from such a small company, with a well run Kickstarter campaign.
        
        Yes, unknown regarding the headphone with CV1. They will probably ship with their own solution. I wouldn’t worry about that just now. The KorFX will find its place in most people’s systems.
      - Relsek
        
        Nightlhlawk,
        First of all, nice choice with the g930. I love that headset!
        As for using it with the Kor FX, it should be fine. There are several ways to output audio through 2 devices on windows (google it and you’ll see) so you can just have sound going straight from your computer to the vest base station and the usb dongle.
        I don’t have the Kor FX, but I have done this with other audio peripherals.
        Good luck!
        -Relsek
      - edgarcova
        
        What’s the code for US I tried VR50 and HOLIDAYVR and they don’t work
leoburton

@Ben Lang
Thanks very much for the post. I am excited to read your review on the production Omni.

Please post it up as soon as possible, as we all want to know a few things before the end of January price hike.
For instance:
1. How was the noise of the footsteps? That is one of my biggest concerns. Previously it was way too loud, and a deal breaker for me. (The Cyberith V. is just as loud with it’s bearings!)

2. Do the Shoe PODs recognise Jumping yet? I know backwards and strain are yet to be developed, they say in time for release.

3. Do you the the SDK is similar to FreePie or GlovePie?

Another thought is that Virtuix are selling the Pods separately. You could buy those alone, and build your own treadmill (as people have done on Reddit and youtube), and use the software alone.
- OculusRiftRocks
  
  I had no idea the virtualiser made noise from its bearings, are you refering to the pillars moving up and down?
  
  I guess on the noise situation neither are perfect then, the developers on the omni forum say it’s alot quiter now than it was in the past, that’s all I know.
  
  yes you can buy the pods seperately but I think they wont work on their own as you need to plug them into a control box which is built into the omni, the omni then sends data to the PC via USB to simulate an analogue stick, so you are out of luck in thinking you can just buy pods only.
  - leoburton
    
    Good point about the Pods, thanks!
    
    Re the Cyberith V: Yes, in certain videos (live demos mostly, with no music dubbed over), you can really hear the bearings sawing away as they bob up and down on the pillars, just as he’s running.
    When he crouches, obviously there is a noise, but when he is running normally the suspension (which keeps the weight off the user) really sounds loud on the prototype. So its one or the other, and I’m leaning towards the Omni. I’m not fussed about crouching. Not sure my knees can take it!
    
    Omni Treadmills are what got me excited about VR and Oculus Rift. Its the only reason I want to get into it. I love the idea of being inside a game, and have been (obsessively) watching and reading all about. Even considering building my own, as I’ve seen some great DIY ones.
    
    Indeed Jan started the Omni on MTBS3D forum I believe. Before Kickstarter. There’s a fe DIY omni’s on there, all using a GlovePIe Nintendo Wii combo, that looks easy enough to give it a try.
    - OculusRiftRocks
      
      yeah honestly try crouch walking on the spot IRL for 2 minutes straight, it’s a horrible experience, playing a game like Deus ex human revolution where you spend 50% of the game crouch walking, you simply wont want to do that IRL as you will ruin your legs and potentially your back?
      
      also going prone, well that’s something you wont be able to do in either of these systems anyway, so really you can’t have all things working IRL as many aren’t practical or even preferred.
      
      so my ‘stance’ (pun intended) on the matter is that I don’t want to crouch walk IRL to match my in-game actions, a button press is much preferred.
    - kijutsu
      
      “Omni Treadmills are what got me excited about VR and Oculus Rift. Its the only reason I want to get into it. I love the idea of being inside a game, and have been (obsessively) watching and reading all about.”
      
      You and I both! I’ve got a friend who laughed at me when I bought an Omni (9th buyer on kickstarter!) but I can’t imagine playing Skyrim or any MMO while sitting down, what a waste of VR that’d be. By the way, if the Omni didn’t exist and the Virtualizer was the only option I’d buy one in a jiffy.
      - leoburton
        
        9th buyer on Kickstarter? You must have got a great price! Its been a long wait! I nearly bought the Cyberith V on Kickstarter, but I cancelled my pledge. The size, noise, and cost put me off.
        Was hoping the Omni would stay at $500 until it was out there so I could make an informed decision. But he price hike has me risking a gamble.
        
        I don’t even have an Oculus Rift yet, just a ‘Moculus Rift’ HMD I built using Tridef software for gaming. Talk about the cart before the horse.
        
        This is a $500 gamble, that this thing is worth it. But one I’m probably going to take.
        
        What is the coupon code everyone keeps mentioning? HOLIDAYVR doesn’t work anymore. (Bummer, I should have bought before Xmas)
      - Alkapwn
        
        How did you find out what number you were for the Omni order? I’d love to figure out how close to the coveted “first” I was.
sponge101

When I bought the Omni, I was given the number 14xx… I’m hoping that’s not the order queue…

Me third (including about the Virtualizer). I haven’t been more excited about a technology in all my life. VR and gaming go together like PB&J. Best part is it’s only going to get better. New version of the Omni/Oculus/Input/whatever. The momentum can’t go backward and to me that’s one of the best aspect of VR.
- sponge101
  
  Don’t know why my comments keep placing on separate thread, but previous comment was at kijutsu who in turn is under leoburton.
Tony Spaniels

Only thing that worries me a little is fogging on the lenses in the DK2 once you get going. Was this an issue for you Ben?
- OculusRiftRocks
  
  apparently if you put a cloth in between the gap it will fix that, you can also breath through your mouth as a temporary fix, i think it is mostly to do with the heat difference between you head and the HMD, and once the HMD gets hotter you can breath more normally and not get fogged up lenses.
  
  I have ordered cover VR, I think that may also solve the lenses fogging up problem.
  - Tony Spaniels
    
    Thanks for the reply mate!I hadnt even considered breath as a factor in fogging, I was thinking just about the heat from your forehead after you start running for a while fogging the lenses up.
    
    I have watched quite a few demo videos now of people trying the Omni out and not one of them said that they lenses fogged up and meant they couldnt continue playing without wiping them so I assumed it mustnt be a big issue, but it would be nice to get that confirmed specifically from someone who has tried it.
    
    Im an Omni kickstarter backer myself and could do with the exercise, so Im really hoping this isnt a big deal! :)
leoburton

@Ben Lang
Please can you get your review of the Omni written this week? Before the price increase on 1st Feb!

Thanks very much