"Hands-free navigation methods for moving through a virtual landscape walking interface virtual reality input devices"

Technological limitations on current interfaces have made researches to develop new devices to interact with objects in the virtual environment. The goal of this project is to develop and build a hands-free navigation system to be integrated into virtual environments. One of the most important fields in virtual reality (VR) research, is the development of systems that allow the user to interface with the virtual environment. The most intuitive method for moving through a virtual landscape is by walking. The implementation of a walking interface for a virtual reality system also allows a greater range of biomechanical experimentation and game research. Systems ranging from different platforms have already been implemented to produce virtual walking; however, these systems have been designed primarily for use with head mounted display systems. We believe that hands-free navigation, unlike the majority of navigation techniques based on hand motions, has the greatest potential for maximizing the interactivity of virtual environments, due to more direct motion of the feet. To make this possible, we created a new and simple device using acceleration sensors to detect ankle movements within the virtual environment. The acceleration sensors are attached to the foot and detect movement based on direction for three different angles. This experimentation could prove beneficial in future virtual gaming. Validation of our approach is given by discussion and illustration of some results