Immersion Gets Physical: VR and CableBOT

As VR headsets like the Oculus Rift are expected to roll-out for sale to the general public in early 2016, the ways in which headset users can immerse themselves into new VR experiences are still expanding.

Meet CableBOT. 

As the video shows, a (lucky?) VR user is strapped into a seat atop a platform that is suspended in a large room - that is in turn attached to a series of motorized pulleys.

The the computers and pulleys take over.

Apparently convincing your body that you are swooping through space is a lot easier if you're actually swooping through space.

Based on robotic platforms for performing maintenance on large sale projects - like huge airplanes, the device in the video above was built by Professor Heinrich Bülthoff and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics.

According to a September 28th, 2015 post to radiotovr.com Dr. Bülthoff's "CableBOT is comprised of a central ‘cockpit’ frame, complete with chair, harness, modified Oculus Rift DK2 and computer to power it. The central cockpit is attached to a series of motorised winches which are coordinated to apply or release tension to and from the cockpit in such a way as to allow elevation, descent and rotation of the platform – giving a full six degrees of freedom for movement (6DoF)."

Thanks to transmedia author and consultant Michel Reilhac for the link to CableBOT article in radiotovr.com.