Project Ingradior: Advancing the Physio-Rehabilitative VR Treading Experience
An apparatus that would enable users to tread through a VR world and experience physical properties such as texture, rigidity and undulations of virtual ground surfaces.
An apparatus that would enable users to tread through a VR world and experience physical properties such as texture, rigidity and undulations of virtual ground surfaces.
The Challenge
VR Treadmills, if done right and made accessible, could open up various application scopes. The need for intuitiveness and the ability to provide a natural treading experience is of foremost importance towards this goal. With Project Ingradior, we aim to take VR Treading one step closer towards hyperrealism.
Approach & Designs
We have devised various mechanisms and engineered multiple concepts with the commonality of using a Slip Module that provides the desired amount of slip between the footwear and the treadmill’s surface, a Grip Module that provides the desired amount of grip between the footwear and the treadmill’s surface and haptic feedback enabled sole. The two modules working in conjunction allow for rapid variation of the resultant friction between the treadmill and the sole.
Developments
We’ve been able to vary the resultant friction between the footwear and the treadmill, and give a corresponding feedback. We have partially been able to stimulate undulations on the surface of the virtual environment. Future scope could entail hardware innovations as well as better data-driven control mechanisms. The developments were supported by the alumni of NITW.
My Role
I led Project Ingradior from 2019 to 2020. My responsibilities included leading the team, designing concepts, engineering the electronics, fabrication of prototypes, managing relationships with partners etc.
The Team
The team included students and alumni of NIT Warangal and MNIT Jaipur. The Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Centre for Innovation and Incubation from NIT Warangal had a significant role in the development of this project.
Status
The work has been licensed to a private firm based in India, who have been working on taking this project forward. Two of our patents are currently pending and can be found here with the Patent Application Numbers 202142014245 and 202142014246.
My Role
I led Project Ingradior from 2019 to 2020. My responsibilities included leading the team, designing concepts, engineering the electronics, fabrication of prototypes, managing relationships with partners etc.
The Team
The team included students and alumni of NIT Warangal and MNIT Jaipur. The Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Centre for Innovation and Incubation from NIT Warangal had a significant role in the development of this project.
Status
The work has been licensed to a private firm based in India, who have been working on taking this project forward. Two of our patents are currently pending and can be found here with the Patent Application Numbers 202142014245 and 202142014246.