Weightless VR is letting you run, jump, dance, and even swim inside of your favorite virtual environments. Created and developed by Nick D’Angelo, Weightless VR is bungee system that is easily setup inside of your house and allows you to be completely free inside of your virtual realties. This is a zero-restriction setup that will make VR even more immersive than ever.
“Based on a system used by stunt doubles in movie production, think more crouching tiger hidden dragon. Our system will keep the player in their play area all while allowing them to have the most fun possible.”
By having full freedom of motion and the support bungees, a player can safely lean back and dodge bullets like Neo, or dive forward into Virtual water and start freely swimming. Players can now dive to hit balls or catch virtual objects, all while knowing the bungees will bring them safely back to center. You might even dance or fight freely with another avatar.
Nick D’Angelo, creator of Weightless VR”
How It Works
If you visit the kickstarter page for this VR harness system, you see that this is a very inclusive setup. Weightless VR is compatible with most VR headsets and tracking systems already, meaning developers don’t have much to worry about. Unless you are wanting the game to be exclusive for this setup, Weightless VR will continue to be already compatible with your tracking system. The setup of the bungee system is fairly easy. You need a ceiling of at least 7 feet, and the standard pack will work all the way up to 15 feet. This is enabled by the two steal plates and support beams that are included with your package.
If you have a larger ceiling or are looking to demonstrate Weightless VR at a convention center, D’Angelo says it is very capable of extending and wrapping around support beams with the same amount of safety and security as the regular setup.
The bungee system is meant for room scale experiences. If you are more of a sitting VR type of user, this won’t be a smart buy. The more play space you have, the more immersed Weightless VR is going to allow you to feel. Of course you are going to experience some problems with the wire connected to the back of your head. This is a common problem for VR users, and it doesn’t stop with this startup company. You are going to have a much better experience with your new toy if you are able to use it with a wireless adapter or a wireless headset.
Setup
D’Angelo also suggest using the HTC Vive trackers for your feet for this experience as well. He says his setup right now is consisting of a HTC Vive, 10 feet of HDMI, a 10 foot USB extender, and a power extension with all of that. If you gain a setup like his, you are going to have a truly immersive experience while inside of your favorite games.
There is also a Pro Edition of Weightless VR that allows for never-ending 360° spinning, allows front and back flips, and is compatible with multiple VR treadmills. Although it is interesting that they are compatible with VR treadmills as they are supposedly taking their spot in the VR industry, it will make for a very immersive experience.
With a price point of $299, you can get a 6 foot 360° spinning rig, an ultra-comfort VR harness, five body bungees, a safety bungee, three VR bungee hooks, and a ceiling mounting system. This can be upgraded to the Pro Edition, and this will come with a price point of $499. It will be worth the price to upgrade, but only if you are going to vigorously using your new VR locomotion system.
