Disney has revealed a new piece of technology that could become the bedrock of future VR experiences.
It’s called HoloTile and lets a person walk around a virtual reality environment without actually moving much in the real world.
The core concept here is nothing new. There are already omnidirectional treadmills made for the job, including the Omni Virtuix, the Infinadeck, and the KAT Walk series. However, the Disney HoloTile is more ambitious and can support multiple people moving on the same surface — even if they walk in different directions.
Disney has posted a video of the HoloTile in action, being explained by Disney Imagineer Lanny Smoot. It’s worth a watch.
“It will automatically do whatever it needs to have me stay on the floor,” says Smoot.
“Imagine a number of people in a room, being able to be somewhere else, collaboratively, and moving around doing sightseeing.”
He also suggests HotoTile could be used in theatres, to move performers around the stage and make greater use of a limited physical space.
Disney has not released any advanced documentation on how it works. However, the demo does show the HoloTile flooring comprises small, puck-like elements that can spin in different directions.
The video also features a computer interface, tracking where the person is on the HoloTile flooring.
Disney calls it “the world’s first multi-person, omnidirectional, modular, expandable, treadmill floor".
Are we one step closer to the dream of a Star Trek-style Holodeck? Perhaps.
There’s no news on when or where HoloTile might be used, how much it would cost, or how deep the tech (and motors) underneath the flooring is.
However, you can already experience something similar to what the Disney HoloTile may one day achieve in London today. DNA VR runs VR escape rooms in Camden, Hammersmith, and Battersea for up to six players. Omescape offers “free roam” multiplayer shooting VR games (and escape rooms) in Algate.
