Any virtual-reality buffs on here? Check this out

[Cutter]

Here is a sphere that allows the person inside to walk in place indefinately:
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=462

When I was a kid I used to think of ways that this could be done, I guess I didn't think hard enough :D

In 1994 or 1995 I went to Argonne National Labs and they had a virtual reality "cave" program going on. Basically it was a room with three walls and floor with images being project on them. It would project two 3D images in rapid succession and the viewers would hear these glasses which where synchronized to block out the image on one side and then the other. Basically like the red/blue things except it was in full color.

From a webmaster perspective, this page was posted by someone on Slashdot (from experience he probably got 30,000+ uniques today.) The link to the actual company's site is down. Too bad for them!

[James]

Those 3d things with the glasses (color ones) have never worked for me; whenever the object gets close, it just makes my eyes blur and go cross-eyed.

I was thinking of something like this coming around some time soon--it's actually a bit later than I thought it'd be around. I always thought that it would be something wherin you would be supported by wires or something. My issue with this method is that you could trip and get injured, aswell as owe a lot of money for damages to the equiptment. Their other method, I couldn't quite understand--with the floor tiles.

[Cutter]

I think it really is a legitimate issue that you could fall. You basically have visual data which may or may not correspond to where you are. For example, what if the guy is walking along a cliff edge, he looks over, and loses his balance? :D

Either way I'd still want to try it; on the other hand, I wouldn't want my grandma using it..

[James]

Either way I'd still want to try it; on the other hand, I wouldn't want my grandma using it.. Agreed. It's one of those things like bungee jumping I feel that I should probably do some day (though as long as I trust the people, I wouldn't find bungee jumping to be as thrilling as, say, jumping off the high dive at a swimming pool).

[r2d2]

My issue with this method is that you could trip and get injured...

Having that big hole in it can't be too good either... :rolleyes:

Looks like fun to me, I guess the sphere must be really light weight so you dont start running up the side...

Bungee jumping is fun - I did it a couple of times in a Greek holiday resort after a beer or two, so no worries about trusting the people :)

[Mike]

Looks good, I hope something like that comes around near me...

By the looks of things, you can take the holes in and out (there seems to be a similar shape on the top).

[r2d2]

By the looks of things, you can take the holes in and out (there seems to be a similar shape on the top).

Yep - there would need to be a way for you to get in and out!

[James]

Yep - there would need to be a way for you to get in and out!
Oh that's just plain poppycock!