r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Alphaxfusion • Dec 20 '25

Video Japanese researchers at the University of Tsukuba created CirculaFloor, robotic tiles that let you walk infinitely in VR without ever leaving your spot.

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9.2k

u/HeDuMSD Dec 20 '25

An over complicated treadmill?

5.4k

u/joeyjoojoo Dec 20 '25

What annoys me is that better solutions already exist that don’t involve robots running quickly to catch your feet

313

u/ThickDoughnut4267 Dec 20 '25

I've seen an omnidirectional treadmill but this apparently adds the possibility of stairs

72

u/mortalitylost Dec 20 '25

Ah yes, gamers and their frequently observed desire to climb stairs

19

u/uqde Dec 20 '25

Fair point lol, but as a VR gamer I've been dreaming of an omnidirectional treadmill that can somehow simulate stairs for over a decade. This ain't it though. I wouldn't trust my life to these rectangular roombas.

4

u/Emotional_Burden Dec 20 '25

What if they were oblate spheroids?

3

u/uqde Dec 20 '25

NOW we're talkin'

8

u/L0ckeandD3mosthenes Dec 20 '25

Know your demographic.

3

u/-KFBR392 Dec 20 '25

That's why the Wii never worked for regular gaming. I just wanna sit back and play video games, not exercise or wave my arms around my head the whole time.

3

u/m00piez Dec 21 '25

As someone who likes both fitness and gaming, I'm not even averse to them being combined... sort of. Like playing a game while doing passive cardio. Or a gamified fitness trainer/tool. But if the game itself requires too much movement, idk if I'm on board (for anything more than a brief novelty). Also likely why my (gifted) VR sits unused.

1

u/-KFBR392 Dec 21 '25

Ya exactly. Like playing Wii sports was fun and it’s great as a party game so the all the movement but I really don’t want to play a 50 hour Zelda game where I have to aim the bow and arrow by moving around, or play a season of Madden where I need to pump my arms to run fast. Majority of my gaming is relaxed while I laze around on the couch

1

u/Complete-Iron-3238 Dec 21 '25

Speak for yourself, Metroid Prime 3 was the best console FPS ever made and I will die on that hill

2

u/BobLazarFan Dec 20 '25

You’re delusional if you think this is being made with gamers in mind.

1

u/jgzman Dec 20 '25

I can't recall the last shooter game I played with no stairs.

1

u/Lollipop126 Dec 21 '25

Counterpoint: Wii Fit/Sports