Remember Virtuix Omni? I remember experiencing an early virtual reality treadmill in a hotel suite many E3s ago. The ingenious concave platform and sliding shoe system influenced Ready Player One’s interpretation of the environment. Early this year, the electronics-free system shipped.
VR inspires innovative thinking regarding tech difficulties. Movement is important. You lose part of that visceral feeling when your FPV avatar cruises as you sit on the sofa.
All options will have negatives for the foreseeable future. The majority of peripherals, like Omni’s, will be priced. Its size and noise are also problems. 
HoloTile, which debuted on YouTube at the end of a film honoring Disney Research colleague Lanny Smoot, is a brilliant and elegant solution to some of these challenges.
Hundreds of silver dollar-sized circular “tiles” make up the system. Each is a mini-omnidirectional treadmill. Their main goal is to keep the walker on the pad.
“I can walk on this omni-directional floor in any direction I want,” Smoot says in the video. “It will automatically keep me on the floor. This is great since numerous individuals can walk independently on it. They can walk in VR and more.”
Supporting many individuals is likely the most astounding part. Many issues remain, like max speed (Smoot moves slowly in the movie) and weight capacity. HoloTile looks to be a research project, which is the key drawback.
One also believes that this technology is too expensive for residential use. It may debut in a Disney Parks VR experience.
