Redirected walking is a set of techniques and algorithms developed to expand virtual environments beyond those allowed by our physical surroundings. These tricks allow developers to make vast virtual environments without requiring bulky gear like omni-directional treadmills. This technology has been researched previously, however it is modern graphics processors and high fidelity headset displays that allow it to function without users becoming severely disoriented.
When we can't see our surroundings, humans aren't able to walk in a straight line. This quirk turns out the be good news for virtual environment developers. by developing algorithms that rotate the world around the user as well as scaling user movements, VR developers are able to trick users into thinking they are moving far greater distances than they actually are. By rotating users' paths back upon themselves, we are able to represent large virtual environments in relatively small physical spaces. Some researchers believe that given a large enough space to redirect users, we could allow them to explore an infinitely vast virtual environment.
Currently, not many places. The Void is a company specializing in VR experiences and state that they make use of redirected walking to make their experiences more expansive. However, the University of Southern California's MxR lab has published a toolkit that allows Unity developers to experiment with redirected walking in their own experiences. In my opinion, the ideal use for this technology is creating a virtual museum. The guided nature of museums are perfect for this technique.
A major flaw of room-scale VR is that many experiences just can't be contained in a single room. To increase immersion, it's important to make transition seem natural and there is no more natural transition than walking there yourself, or at least thinking you are. This technology will allow users of room-scale VR devices to explore larger areas with the naturalness of walking there. It is also less bulky than an omni-direction treadmill and free to use.
Cheap
Requires no additional hardware
When done correctly, users don't notice a thing
Can design larger virtual environments
Can be disrupted by erratic user behaviour
Might lead to severe simulation sickness if used improperly
Still requires a relatively large space, more than an omni-directional treadmill
Rating: 3-8
When done properly, researchers and developers find that simulation sickness from programs utilizing redirected walking cause no more simulator sickness than regular room-scale applications.
If uses carelessly users can easily be expected to crash into objects or walls and nausea is very likely. As displays, algorithms, and sound design improve, we should explect simulator
sickness to decrease drastically.
Redirected walking is a set of algorithms and techniques that a psychological quirk in humans to make vast virtual environments possible withouth the use of additional hardware. Used in some commercial experiences such as The Void, we can expect to see some more experiences crafted around this technology in the future. When handled properly, simulation sickness can be as negligable as room-scale VR, however when used carelessly this technology is a recipe for disaster and naseated users. Overall it is a very neat idea to make virtual environments more immersive with very minimal investment.