Omni Gaming Treadmill

The Omni gaming treadmill: One step closer to total immersion...

The hottest crowdfunded gaming device of 2013 could end up being Virtuix's Omni virtual-reality treadmill, which , in just 48 hours, has already netted a stunning sum of $600,000 in kickstarter pledges from around the world.

Virtuix may have actually come up with a sensible physical platform that lets a gamer run or jump seamlessly on an enclosed octagon-shaped treadmill and see those actions mirrored in a video game.

After stepping into the octagon, Omni users slip inside a circular ring, with an attachment belt, that prevents them from toppling over while moving. Other than that, the concept seems simple: if you run forward on the Omni, you run forward in a game, if you crouch, you crouch in the game, and so forth. The recommended, almost required, Omni shoes don't seem so bad, either, as they contain a few protrusions similar to a cycling shoe that let you run easily on the Omni without fear of sliding around aimlessly. 

While this all sounds exciting, these sorts of products usually get murky when the question of compatibility comes in. The Omni sails effortlessly past any potential woes with one simple fact: the associated treadmill software generates keystrokes based on your movements, meaning that at a bare minimum, the Omni can work with any game that uses keyboard input. Check out videos of many popular games being played with the Omni, or scroll down to watch Omni and Battlefield 3 in action.

To check out the Omni Kickstarter click here.

Of course the bulky glasses you have to wear on the Omni aren't exactly my thing, I'm sure future versions will come with much more streamlined 'futuristic' features...