VRGO Chair – A Hands-Free Motion Controller Built For Virtual Reality
VRGO chair is a new kind of motion controller for virtual reality, a sitting solution for VR that creates an immersive and responsive virtual reality experience through hands free movement at the touch of a button. VRGO is launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter on Nov 3, 2015.
VRGO is one of the most intuitive and consumer friendly hands-free movement controllers for virtual reality, combining simple, responsive control with sleek design. It enables users to unlock deeper levels of immersion by translating their movements in the real world to the virtual world, all in their own home.
One of the biggest issues currently facing the VR industry is that of movement within the Virtual world, moving away from stick controller, gamepad, and mouse inputs and towards the hands free alternatives unlocks new experiences created by the deeper levels of presence they’re able to unlock. To achieve true presence, a real feeling of total immersion, the user needs to be able to move naturally, as they would in the reality and real world.
Sadly past efforts to provide a device that reaches these high standards, have proven to be clunky, unresponsive, expensive and simply not practical for the average home. VRGO’s tilt-based movement system was built as a solution to provide a hand free movement and control!
VRGO chair is designed to enable users to stay engaged longer while still feeling present within VR whilst maintaining natural movement. VRGO has been designed to complement the natural locomotion of the user’s body. During movement, the human body naturally inclines towards the direction it’s travelling. VRGO’s tilttomove system correlates to these natural movements. To move forward within VRGO controlled virtual reality, the user simply has to lean forward. The chair’s tilting and swivelling movement allows for a full, organic range of movement and rotation in any direction.
VRGO uses a custom made system of sensors and a low latency bluetooth connection to ensure the most responsive hands free experience, enabling access to the virtual world at the touch of a button. Below is a list of the main features of the device: CONVENIENCE We are aware that not everyone’s got the space to have a large locomotion device in his or her dedicated VR space (bedroom/living room/office).
The VRGO is smaller than an office chair and is light enough to be easily moved around your home. Of course if you have a mobile HMD like the Gear VR you can take it anywhere you like as the VRGO is wireless. You can even open up the device and use it as storage for your HMD, plugs, adaptors, headphones etc. According to VRGO team, a gentle tilt of the chair forward will start motion and a tilt to the right will act as a strafe. Joypad control has an analog range (the more you tilt the faster you go) while keyboard can only accommodate walk and sprint.
The turning (yaw) motion is set greater than 1:1 at default so that a small turn on the chair can act as a larger turn in VR. This limits the chance of wire tangle and effort required to turn. This sensitivity can however be changed within most games within mouse or joypad options to suit your needs.
OVERALL COMFORT
With the same posture enhancing effects as a yoga ball the VRGO puts the player in an active playing position. The player must harness their core muscles to control the chair, which can help with bad posture. It gets people off the couch and into the game but still allows for multiple hours of gameplay without fatigue.
HANDS FREE DESIGN
There are many devices that can track hands or use optical cameras to bring your hands into VR. To see your hands is an essential component to presence and as the VRGO requires no hand controls for motion it is a great solution to be able to see all your fingers move freely.
SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY
The VRGO can connect wirelessly to both PC/MAC and cell phone HMD headsets. We use Bluetooth because of the low latency and universal adoption. The VRGO connects at the touch of a button as both a keyboard and mouse or as a joypad. This means it will work on all platforms and on any game that have either of these input options.
REDUCTION OF MOTION SICKNESS
There are different theories why we suffer from motion sickness when in VR, but the most dominant theory is the Cue Conflict Theory. It is basically a mismatch between what we expect to see and feel and what we are actually seeing and feeling.
Moving around in VR can cause Cue Conflict especially when using traditional gamepad motion inputs. Yaw is the biggest culprit with leading VR figureheads talking of its poisonous effects. Because we are actually turning in reality in relation to the VR motion the VRGO helps to reduce the feeling of sickness some users experience.
KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN
VRGO’s Kickstarter campaign will be consumer’s first chance to get their hands on a VRGO chair, launching at 18:30 on the 3rd of November. With the initial target of £20,000, VRGO team has set both super and standard early bird rewards at £150 and £175 respectively for the lucky first 50 backers. Also on offer are: custom VRGO cardboard HMD, Mini weeble toy versions of the VRGO and Custom VRGO finishes like camouflage and carbon fibre.
ABOUT VRGO Team
Joe Ryan is a creative technologist and designer. He is a resident at the Pervasive Media Studio which has a strong history of producing innovative and successful technology projects. Joe has an MA in Game Design and has worked in the video game industry for a number of years. A true believer in the power of presence.
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