A few years ago, when virtual reality and augmented reality started becoming a, well, reality for a lot of gadget users, we thought that the life we saw in sci-fi movies and TV series will finally be upon us. Well years later and while there have been some advances made, it’s still something that’s not as pervasive in our everyday lives. The VR device has not caught on as fast as we expected, and is still considered a luxury by many people. We are still seeing interesting innovations, at the very least in product design.
Designer Tai Geng
There’s this interesting concept for a virtual reality sphere that can give users full immersion, something that improves on the usual head-mounted devices. These HMDs are still the most common VR gadgets right now but are considered just a temporary step in the evolution of the technology. Eleven is the product idea. It is an electromagnetic sphere suspended over an electromagnetic base. This sphere aims to provide a full immersive VR experience through movies, games, and teaching tools.
Inside the sphere is a seat with smart foam contouring so the person using it will feel comfortable and safe inside. Even though the sphere can move in various directions, you won’t need to use seatbelts. The sphere can simulate movements occurring in media, whether they are sideways, forward or backwards. It also has the ability to move upward and down. If the sphere does have zero latency, you will experience instantaneous movements from your game or movie or video.
It seems to be floating above the base as it is designed to have three triangulating electromagnets to orient it when it’s not moving. They covered all these mechanisms with aluminum materials that are fastened into the hollowed base. The movement of the sphere depends on what is going on in the video. This is translated by the attraction and repulsion from the magnets that are used to rotate the sphere.
This is by no means a small sphere as with the base it stands at 6 feet. You will find it fascinating to experience this immersive VR experience. However, if you have motion sickness, this might not be such a good idea of course.
