Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Mobile Floor

Training and military simulations can immerse users in realistic visual worlds. Now researchers at the University of Tsukuba and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute in Japan have developed an interface that lets users negotiate such virtual spaces physically – without bumping into walls. Four square tiles, about 70 centimeters on a side, zip around on motorized wheels to form a moving platform under a person’s feet; the user can step in any direction but remain in the middle of the room. Ultrasound and optical sensors on the floor let the system predict where the user is about to step. The tiles communicate with a computer that synchronizes the person’s movements with a virtual scene on a head-mounted display. The first application could be in virtual evacuation drills to prepare for disasters such as fires and earthquakes, says Tsukuba engineering professor Hiroo Iwata, whose team is working toward having a commercial product ready within a few years.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

OpenAI teases an amazing new generative video model called Sora

The firm is sharing Sora with a small group of safety testers but the rest of us will have to wait to learn more.

Google’s Gemini is now in everything. Here’s how you can try it out.

Gmail, Docs, and more will now come with Gemini baked in. But Europeans will have to wait before they can download the app.

This baby with a head camera helped teach an AI how kids learn language

A neural network trained on the experiences of a single young child managed to learn one of the core components of language: how to match words to the objects they represent.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.