Project Holodeck aims to bring full 3D virtual reality to gaming
A team from the University of Southern California have started Project Holodeck and are working to create full-body 360-degree virtual reality simulator in an accessible consumer gaming platform that could be comparable to the Star Trek Holodeck. It will allow users to play in a large digital space while physically operating in a small one.
A player's movement will be tracked with a PlayStation Move sensor and uses gaming headsets that have a 105-degree three-dimensional view. A Razer Hydra Sixense motion controller will track six-axis hand movements to completely immerse the player into the game. "This isn't like watching a floating television – this is true immersion in a virtual world with simulated peripheral vision," one of the team members explained.
They're even integrating haptic feedback by using fans linked to the game server, which are designed to simulate the blowing wind when moving throughout the game. The team is apparently in talks with a few gaming companies and even Disney to hopefully make it a real product one day.