Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 9.1
The first prototype
of virtual perambulator
9.2 Sliding Shoes
9.2.1 Virtual Perambulator
The first project aimed at developing a locomotion interface started in 1988 [
7
]. It was
named “Virtual Perambulator”, and had the primary object of allowing for changes
in direction of the walker's feet. Figure
9.1
shows the overall view of the prototype.
A user of the system wore a parachute like harness and omni-directional roller skates.
The trunk of the walker is fixed to the framework of the system by the harness. An
omni-directional sliding device is used for changing direction of the feet. To this
end, a specialized roller skate was equipped with four casters, which enables two-
dimensional motion. The walker could freely move his or her feet in any direction.
Motions of the feet were measured via ultrasonic range detectors. From the results
of measurements, images of the virtual space were displayed in the head-mounted
display corresponding with the motion of the walker. The direction of locomotion in
the virtual space was determined according to the direction of the walker's steps.
