I don’t know if any of you are into video games, but if you are, then like me, you’ve probably fantasized about some sort of virtual reality system that would actually immerse you in the game. There is no longer a need to fantasize anymore: a treadmill like device has been implemented to allow users to actually move around in games like Skyrim, simulating the experience of actually existing within the video game. I’m so pumped about this technology, it will not only blur the line between the digital and real worlds, but it will also allow gamers to burn calories while playing.
This device, known as the Virtuix Omni, will be also be affordable and compact enough to fit in a living room. It will soon launch a Kickstarter to get develop the prototype into a final product.
Do you love to ski, but have a hard time finding a quality, nearby slope? I know that I do. There aren’t any good slopes near State College, nor are there any back near my home town. Therefore, a building that will soon be constructed in Copenhagen that will actually house a ski resort has extremely excited me. The building will be a waste-to-energy power plant, also being environmentally sustainable, will be a vertical forest, sustaining green life along its walls, and will be constructed from a recycled synthetic material. Aside from being remarkably green, the massive structure will have a winding 333,700-square-foot ski slope containing multiple ski routes. Demand for this structure will be high, as the surrounding land in Denmark is predominately flat.
Artist’s rendition of the future slope
The green power plant observed from a distance
As games have gotten more and more life-like, I have often wondered when technology would finally find a way to really put us in the game. This technology is incredible. I wonder if a person’s physical attributes can help or hurt them in the games that will come from this. Will running on the “treadmill” directly translate into the character’s speed or will there be formulas for determining equalizing factors?
As for the ski slope- I love snowboarding! The only bad part about it is that it’s so seasonal I’m missing one of my favorite activities for more than half of the year. Not only is the idea of a large-scale indoor slope awesome, but the green technology of it makes the idea truly remarkable.