Skip to main content

Virtuix delivers its first motion platform to Kickstarter supporters — way ahead of VR products

Omni treadmill from Virtuix.
Image Credit: Virtuix

Virtuix was way ahead of the curve when it announced a year ago that it had finished the final version of its Omni treadmill, a motion platform to go with the upcoming virtual reality goggles. But those virtual reality systems from HTC and Facebook’s Oculus VR were delayed until 2016.

The Omni treadmill from Virtuix.

Above: The Omni treadmill from Virtuix.

Image Credit: Virtuix

Virtuix has stayed on schedule. Today, the Houston, Texas-based company said it has started production and has already delivered its first unit to its earliest Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign supporter.

In some ways, that’s a positive step for Virtuix. But it also shows how hard it is to create a product that is an accessory for somebody else’s platform. When that platform is delayed, it slows down the adoption of the accessory in a very big way.

Jan Goetgeluk, chief executive of Virtuix, announced at last year’s 2015 International CES that the company had finalized the design of its Omni treadmill, which replicates walking and running in a virtual world with 360 degrees of freedom. You can use it with the Samsung Gear VR, which began shipping last month. But it will also work with other VR headsets that still don’t have release dates for 2016.

GB Event

GamesBeat Summit Call for Speakers

We’re thrilled to open our call for speakers to our flagship event, GamesBeat Summit 2024 hosted in Los Angeles, where we will explore the theme of “Resilience and Adaption”.

Apply to speak here

Goetgeluk said in a statement that the company has delivered its first unit to Fred Wood, a VR enthusiast who backed Virtuix’s Kickstarter campaign on its first day. Virtuix has made an omni-directional treadmill, where you are strapped into a platform and can run over the special Omni surface, which makes you look a bit like a hamster in a treadmill. You can get a lot of exercise in the 3D environment of a virtual world by running, walking, sitting, and strafing. The company calls this Active VR, which can build on the sense of immersion and presence, or the feeling that you are really in another world.

The company hopes that applications will span areas such as gaming, fitness, tourism, and social gatherings.

“I’ve always wanted to run around in impossible, virtual worlds,” said Wood, in a statement. “Virtuix has developed a product to make that possible, and I can’t wait to start running on my Omni.”

The company held a special ceremony at Wood’s home.

“Without the early support of backers like Fred Wood, Virtuix would not be in a position to deliver Active VR to the gaming community,” Goetgeluk said. “We feel that Active VR is the best and most immersive way to explore virtual reality and perhaps the only way to experience popular gaming genres like first-person shooters and exploration games safely and comfortably in a virtual environment. Today we announce the delivery of our first unit and our official launch to be held at CES. We will deliver 50 additional units to early backers and partners in January and follow that with the order fulfillment for all of our more than 4,000 backers and pre-order customers.”

Virtuix also said it will host its first-ever active virtual reality esports tournament at the 2016 International CES in Las Vegas next month. Attendees will be able to try the Omni with both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.

“CES marks the first time that consumers will see Omni Arena, a competitive, multiplayer arena shooter demo created specifically for VR and the Omni,” said Robert Brackenridge, director of games at Virtuix. “We feel bringing e-sports and VR gaming out of the chair and adding an active physical component creates an extra layer of excitement for both competitors and spectators.”

Virtuix is selling the Omni for $700, currently through a preorder program. Goetgeluk founded Virtuix in 2013 though he began the research much earlier. Virtuix has raised $7 million to date, and it has presold thousands of Omnis. Virtuix raised $1.1 million via Kickstarter, and it raised $8 million in additional investment.

Jan Goetgeluk (left) of Virtuix with Fred Wood, Kickstarter supporter, on the Omni treadmill.

Above: Jan Goetgeluk (left) of Virtuix with Fred Wood, Kickstarter supporter, on the Omni treadmill.

Image Credit: Virtuix

VB Daily - get the latest in your inbox

Thanks for subscribing. Check out more VB newsletters here.

An error occured.