A Makerspace Foot Pedal and Shoe Add-On for Seated Virtual Reality Locomotion

Virtual reality advances are constantly pushing the envelope of what is possible in the realm of human-computer interaction to provide more engaging and immersive experiences. Recent trends in consumer virtual reality are seeing the development of stand-alone headsets providing portable wireless experiences. However, one aspect of VR that is still in need of improvement is user-friendly, immersive, intuitive, and effective locomotion. Currently, commodity locomotion is achieved through teleportation, gamepad-based, or room-scale locomotion, unlike high-end systems featuring omnidirectional treadmills that require higher investment and specialized infrastructure. Proper virtual reality locomotion can increase immersion, presence, and allow effective interactions that can positively impact applications in health care, education, training, and safety. In this paper, we present a preliminary usability study on seated virtual reality locomotion employing consumer-level devices, teleportation, and two custom-made devices employing 3D printing and open electronics as an alternative for walking in VR.