WO2016153442A1 - Virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill - Google Patents

Virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2016153442A1
WO2016153442A1 PCT/TR2015/000384 TR2015000384W WO2016153442A1 WO 2016153442 A1 WO2016153442 A1 WO 2016153442A1 TR 2015000384 W TR2015000384 W TR 2015000384W WO 2016153442 A1 WO2016153442 A1 WO 2016153442A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
user
computer
sensor
simulator
computer control
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/TR2015/000384
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Tuana KELES
Asena KELES
Oguz Kaan KELES
Original Assignee
KELES, Hamit
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by KELES, Hamit filed Critical KELES, Hamit
Publication of WO2016153442A1 publication Critical patent/WO2016153442A1/en

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F3/00—Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
    • G06F3/01—Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer
    • G06F3/011—Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
    • A63B22/0087—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with a seat or torso support moving during the exercise, e.g. reformers
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
    • A63B22/02—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with movable endless bands, e.g. treadmills
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F13/00—Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B24/00—Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
    • A63B24/0087—Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load
    • A63B2024/0096—Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of groups A63B21/00 - A63B23/00, e.g. controlling load using performance related parameters for controlling electronic or video games or avatars
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F2203/00—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/00 - G06F3/048
    • G06F2203/01—Indexing scheme relating to G06F3/01
    • G06F2203/012—Walk-in-place systems for allowing a user to walk in a virtual environment while constraining him to a given position in the physical environment

Definitions

  • This invention is directed to a VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADMILL which detects bodily activities of a person through sensors like a gyroscope or a distance detector, transfer them to a player within a computer game or any other 3D world created on a computer and ensures that the person directs the computer through his/her activities like walking, running, turning, touching, etc.
  • the device is designed for use as a SAFE TREADMILL as a supplementary utility.
  • a number of companies has tried to simulate walking, i.e. simulate walking activity with walking on a computer through various techniques (such as walking on an inside surface of a ball and transferring the data to the computer), but none of them achieved successful results.
  • a US company achieved to transfer the activity of feet which are slipped over a slippery ground to the computer as a walking simulation, but failed to create a real sense of walking since human brain resists to believe that he/she is walking by just shuffling feet over the ground.
  • the purpose of this invention is to provide a VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING, RUNNING AND TURNING SIMULATOR comprising a rotary band (5) to give a sense of walking and running most suitable for human nature, a 360 degrees rotary platform (5) to ensure WALKING OR RUNNING ACTIVITIES ON A COMPUTER TOWARDS ANY DIRECTION HE/SHE CHOOSES, and a safety circle (3) and safety belt (2) to ensure that all activities are performed safely while the user is using a virtual reality glasses (thus can not see the actual world).
  • a further purpose of this invention is to provide a SAFE TREADMILL against injuries by increasing the safety level of prior art treadmills through use of a safety circle (3) and a safety belt (2).
  • FIGURE 1 a general view of a virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill.
  • Our device starts functioning as soon as the user takes a first step forward or backward, and he/she sees that he/she took a step in the game as soon as he/she gets on our band (5). Then, when he/she wants to turn right, left or back, our activity detection sensors (1) (5) detect the intention of the user at the start already, and 360 degrees rotary platform (6) ensure an automatic rotation through powered motors.
  • Our VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADMILL functions to read the bodily activities of the user and to send directions to a computer for this purpose.
  • the devices comprises following innovations and novel ideas:
  • a sensor treadmill to sense forward and backward walking while actually walking physically and to send the sensed data to a computer.
  • a rotary platform (6) to rotate automatically to the direction as wished by the user, induced by the activity detection sensor or sensors (1) (5) provided on the user, driven by a powered motor and rotatable 360 degrees or for a full round around the user for unlimited times.
  • a safety circuit (3) to ensure that the user performs all these actions safely.
  • EDUCATION At schools, alone or in combination with conventional training methods for classes like geography, history, healthcare, etc. by for instance, teaching through walk in canyons, mountains, volcanoes, human body or one of the seven wonders of world.
  • TOURISM Addressing the needs of discovery and learning by allowing user to walk in the reproductions of attractive places (such as Eiffel tower, Pizza tower, Great Wall) created on computer.
  • GAM ES Convenience of moving in a game naturally, i.e. by actually walking instead of using keys or a joystick to move in a game.
  • SPORTS Training in Amazons, Mars or at any other place or time created virtually, instead of training by looking at walls or glasses at gyms.
  • ENTERTAINMENT Dancing with a 3D avatar of a famous person.
  • BUSINESS For the purpose of presentation of construction works or any other large- scaled projects, allowing the customer to walk around a 3D model of the project.
  • VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADM ILL of the present invention is a device that can be manufactured conveniently, easily adoptable to the industry and marketable globally and trigger a large number of industries and game sector in our country.

Abstract

This invention is directed to a virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill which detects bodily activities of a person through sensors like a gyroscope or a distance detector, transfer them to a player within a computer game or any other 3D world created on a computer and ensures that the person directs the computer through his/her activities like walking, running, turning, touching, etc. The device is designed for use as a safe treadmill as a supplementary utility.

Description

VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADMILL DESCRIPTION
Field of Invention
This invention is directed to a VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADMILL which detects bodily activities of a person through sensors like a gyroscope or a distance detector, transfer them to a player within a computer game or any other 3D world created on a computer and ensures that the person directs the computer through his/her activities like walking, running, turning, touching, etc.
The device is designed for use as a SAFE TREADMILL as a supplementary utility.
Prior Art
A number of companies has tried to simulate walking, i.e. simulate walking activity with walking on a computer through various techniques (such as walking on an inside surface of a ball and transferring the data to the computer), but none of them achieved successful results. Recently, a US company achieved to transfer the activity of feet which are slipped over a slippery ground to the computer as a walking simulation, but failed to create a real sense of walking since human brain resists to believe that he/she is walking by just shuffling feet over the ground.
Another Australian company works to achieve a walking simulation (sense of walking) by slipping feet over a slippery ground. According to us, no successful outcome will be obtained since basically the foot-shuffling approach is wrong. Because human brain resists to think that foot-shuffling corresponds to virtual walking, and thus a sense of discomfort appears.
Purpose of Invention :
The purpose of this invention is to provide a VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING, RUNNING AND TURNING SIMULATOR comprising a rotary band (5) to give a sense of walking and running most suitable for human nature, a 360 degrees rotary platform (5) to ensure WALKING OR RUNNING ACTIVITIES ON A COMPUTER TOWARDS ANY DIRECTION HE/SHE CHOOSES, and a safety circle (3) and safety belt (2) to ensure that all activities are performed safely while the user is using a virtual reality glasses (thus can not see the actual world).
A further purpose of this invention is to provide a SAFE TREADMILL against injuries by increasing the safety level of prior art treadmills through use of a safety circle (3) and a safety belt (2).
Description of Figures FIGURE 1; a general view of a virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill.
Definition of References of Figure :
1 - Activity detection sensor and computer control circuit
2 - Safety belt
3 - Safety Circle
4. Side studs
5. Rotary band and activity detection sensor
6. 360 degrees rotary platform and rotation sensor
7. Fixed platform, rotation motor and control circuits
Description of Invention
As it is known, fast improvements are achieved in terms of living within a virtual reality that we watched as a concept on movies like Matrix and Avatar. These concepts are considered as a dream for now but they can be realized if the perception (5 senses) of a person whose body is present at home or office generates an illusion as if he/she is living at some other place on earth or in space through a total interaction between each sense of that person and a computer.
In this frame, technologies improve that generate 3D worlds on games and computers and new devices are devised that make you feel that you are in the game actually. Devices that are produced for sight simulation (Oculus Rift etc.) provide a 3D, 360 degrees vision, detect the head movements and make you see the direction in the virtual world which you look at in the real world.
However, a device that perfectly fits to your walking has not been developed yet while your eyesight tells you that you are in a different world. Our invention has been developed to meet this need and is directed to a device which is the first and only one, to our best knowledge, that incorporates a number of innovations and adopts a brand new conceptual approach to this problem. A user of our VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATOR, upon stepping on the device, would close the safety circle (3), tie the safety belt (2) and sense that he/she is in a different world as soon as wearing the virtual reality glasses.
Our device starts functioning as soon as the user takes a first step forward or backward, and he/she sees that he/she took a step in the game as soon as he/she gets on our band (5). Then, when he/she wants to turn right, left or back, our activity detection sensors (1) (5) detect the intention of the user at the start already, and 360 degrees rotary platform (6) ensure an automatic rotation through powered motors.
As a result, the user, while being present at home bodily, would feel as if he/she is moving, walking or running in a different world created virtually by the means of his/her senses and bodily activities.
Our VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADMILL functions to read the bodily activities of the user and to send directions to a computer for this purpose.
The devices comprises following innovations and novel ideas:
1. A sensor treadmill to sense forward and backward walking while actually walking physically and to send the sensed data to a computer.
2. A rotary platform (6) to rotate automatically to the direction as wished by the user, induced by the activity detection sensor or sensors (1) (5) provided on the user, driven by a powered motor and rotatable 360 degrees or for a full round around the user for unlimited times.
3. A computerized unit to estimate what the user intends to do by the means of data read from the body language of user, transfer the said data to the computer in a language that can be understood by the computer and direct the avatar in the game.
4. Unique software and an electronic control circuit that runs the said software.
5. A safety circuit (3) to ensure that the user performs all these actions safely.
6. A safety belt (2) to ensure that the device is also used as a safe treadmill. 1. EDUCATION : At schools, alone or in combination with conventional training methods for classes like geography, history, healthcare, etc. by for instance, teaching through walk in jungles, mountains, volcanoes, human body or one of the seven wonders of world.
2. TOURISM : Addressing the needs of discovery and learning by allowing user to walk in the reproductions of attractive places (such as Eiffel tower, Pizza tower, Great Wall) created on computer.
3. GAM ES : Convenience of moving in a game naturally, i.e. by actually walking instead of using keys or a joystick to move in a game.
4. SPORTS : Training in Amazons, Mars or at any other place or time created virtually, instead of training by looking at walls or glasses at gyms.
5. ENTERTAINMENT : Dancing with a 3D avatar of a famous person.
6. BUSINESS : For the purpose of presentation of construction works or any other large- scaled projects, allowing the customer to walk around a 3D model of the project.
Industrial Applicability of Invention
VIRTUAL REALITY WALKING SIMULATOR AND SAFE TREADM ILL of the present invention is a device that can be manufactured conveniently, easily adoptable to the industry and marketable globally and trigger a large number of industries and game sector in our country.

Claims

A simulator and computer control device, characterized in that it is an activity detection sensor and computer control circuit (1) that transmits a command to turn right or left to the rotation motors of the simulator by the means of a gyroscope circuit having a wired or wireless connection means, a pressure sensor or an electric switch circuit which can be attached to the head, chest, waist of a user, and directs an interactive content of a computer game or of a computer by the means of activity data from the body, hands, arms, fingers, head and feet of the user; also in that it is a 360 degrees rotary platform and rotation sensor (6) that allows the user to turn 360 degrees in any direction and to any extent as desired by the user by means of the commands it received from the activity detection sensor and computer control circuit; in that it is a rotary band and activity detection sensor (5) that detects the steps of user by the means of the pressure sensor, movement sensor or thought sensor and as a result of detection, transmits commands to rotate faster or slower or to stop to the motors rotating the treadmill that is driven by two or more electric motors and allows the user to walk, stop, reverse and/or turn right or left in any angle as desired by the user.
A simulator and computer control device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a safety belt (2) and a safety circle (3) that allow for safe use of the activity detection sensor and computer control circuit which makes a user to walk or turn in any direction as he/she wishes in a virtual world through his/her head or body movements.
PCT/TR2015/000384 2015-03-26 2015-12-24 Virtual reality walking simulator and safe treadmill WO2016153442A1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
TR201503668 2015-03-26
TR2015/03668 2015-03-26

Publications (1)

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WO2016153442A1 true WO2016153442A1 (en) 2016-09-29

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Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107193234A (en) * 2017-06-20 2017-09-22 中国计量大学 Virtual reality simulation system with landform true feeling
CN108553810A (en) * 2018-06-22 2018-09-21 苏州工业职业技术学院 A kind of artificial intelligence VR devices
CN110270054A (en) * 2019-07-04 2019-09-24 安徽商贸职业技术学院 A kind of safe treadmill
US10955907B2 (en) 2018-11-08 2021-03-23 International Business Machines Corporation VR movement platform
US11042214B2 (en) 2018-11-08 2021-06-22 International Business Machines Corporation VR movement platform
CN113058208A (en) * 2021-04-08 2021-07-02 上海厘成智能科技有限公司 Omnidirectional virtual reality treadmill control method
US20210346752A1 (en) * 2020-05-06 2021-11-11 Kendall Holmes Treadmill providing multiple axis displacement of the moving surface
US11908089B2 (en) 2019-06-13 2024-02-20 Inerticx M.D.T Ltd. Ambulation simulating apparatus
US11954246B2 (en) 2022-07-06 2024-04-09 Walter L. Terry Smart individual motion capture and spatial translation (SIMCAST) system

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5980256A (en) * 1993-10-29 1999-11-09 Carmein; David E. E. Virtual reality system with enhanced sensory apparatus
US20130132910A1 (en) * 2009-04-21 2013-05-23 Amplisens Belt adapted to movements in virtual reality
US20130237378A1 (en) * 2012-03-09 2013-09-12 Matthew Carrell Apparatus for simulating motion in a virtual environment
WO2014166814A1 (en) * 2013-04-10 2014-10-16 Cakmak Tuncay Device for accommodating a person and for partially limiting the freedom of movement of the person

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5980256A (en) * 1993-10-29 1999-11-09 Carmein; David E. E. Virtual reality system with enhanced sensory apparatus
US20130132910A1 (en) * 2009-04-21 2013-05-23 Amplisens Belt adapted to movements in virtual reality
US20130237378A1 (en) * 2012-03-09 2013-09-12 Matthew Carrell Apparatus for simulating motion in a virtual environment
WO2014166814A1 (en) * 2013-04-10 2014-10-16 Cakmak Tuncay Device for accommodating a person and for partially limiting the freedom of movement of the person

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107193234A (en) * 2017-06-20 2017-09-22 中国计量大学 Virtual reality simulation system with landform true feeling
CN107193234B (en) * 2017-06-20 2019-05-03 中国计量大学 Virtual reality simulation system and method with landform true feeling
CN108553810A (en) * 2018-06-22 2018-09-21 苏州工业职业技术学院 A kind of artificial intelligence VR devices
US10955907B2 (en) 2018-11-08 2021-03-23 International Business Machines Corporation VR movement platform
US11042214B2 (en) 2018-11-08 2021-06-22 International Business Machines Corporation VR movement platform
US11908089B2 (en) 2019-06-13 2024-02-20 Inerticx M.D.T Ltd. Ambulation simulating apparatus
CN110270054A (en) * 2019-07-04 2019-09-24 安徽商贸职业技术学院 A kind of safe treadmill
US20210346752A1 (en) * 2020-05-06 2021-11-11 Kendall Holmes Treadmill providing multiple axis displacement of the moving surface
CN113058208A (en) * 2021-04-08 2021-07-02 上海厘成智能科技有限公司 Omnidirectional virtual reality treadmill control method
CN113058208B (en) * 2021-04-08 2023-05-26 上海厘成智能科技有限公司 Control method of omnidirectional virtual reality running machine
US11954246B2 (en) 2022-07-06 2024-04-09 Walter L. Terry Smart individual motion capture and spatial translation (SIMCAST) system

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