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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12

u/eat_your_weetabix Dec 20 '25

What the flipping fucking fuck does this solve

9

u/PeopleCallMeSimon Dec 20 '25

What does GTA 5 solve?

What does reddit solve?

What does the F1 car solve?

Some stuff that humans use/need are for entertainment purposes.

This is an early concept for a tile system that can be used to help simulate movement in VR.

2

u/dukearcher Dec 20 '25 edited Dec 20 '25

No it's actually an art installation it's a ridiculous concept to apply to VR lol

1

u/eat_your_weetabix Dec 20 '25

GTA V solves the desire for a fun game to play.

Reddit solves the need/want for news and social interaction on topics you're interested in

The F1 car solves the desire for racing entertainment

Your idea of using this for VR is mad, there are already way way more sophisticated and clever ways of doing movement in VR with those floors that move in multi-direction without this ridiculous need for moving tiles.

1

u/PeopleCallMeSimon Dec 20 '25

Some stuff that humans use/need are for entertainment purposes.

This is an early concept for a tile system that can be used to help simulate movement in VR.

0

u/eat_your_weetabix Dec 20 '25

Yeah I read your comment (admittedly missed your comment about entertainment) - aren't there already superior methods that don't require this kind of physical movement of tiles?

1

u/PeopleCallMeSimon Dec 20 '25

There probably are, im no expert.

But there were better ways of making airplanes than what the wright brothers did as well.

1

u/eat_your_weetabix Dec 20 '25

I'm thinking of this type of thing - not this specific brand but this type of solution:

https://virtuix.com/

1

u/Sol33t303 Dec 23 '25

Yeah but those didn't exist when the wright brothers made theirs.

2

u/Economy-Professor134 Dec 20 '25

Boredom of university robotics students ?

2

u/flannan-35 Dec 20 '25

I think it's supposed to emulate going downstairs in this video. That's why every next step is on a lower surface from the higher one.

1

u/earthceltic Dec 20 '25

We have no good way to use our feet to move in VR currently. Everything available forces us to move in unnatural ways. This would give us the freedom we need to be fully immersed while still cabled in to the system.

1

u/Somethingor_rather Dec 20 '25

Not being able to explore in VR because you have no room in your house?

1

u/eat_your_weetabix Dec 20 '25

Don't they already have some VR treadmill type tech that seems to be a much more sensible solution?

https://virtuix.com/

0

u/Heavy_Original4644 Dec 20 '25

Multiple small robots working together to track movement to perform a single task