The VirtuSphere: full body immersion Virtual reality at last

It also offers on-the-job training for very dangerous jobs without the mortality rate - a soldier can learn to respond appropriately before encountering real world, life-threatening situations. SWAT team members can walk a virtual building prior to ingress into the real building and soldiers can understand the layout of a city they are about to attack.

First responders can learn to respond effectively to the varied circumstances they can encounter, well before a mistake might cost a life. Sporting team members can rehearse their roles in complex drills to perfection, or test their endurance over a mountain trail and measure their body’s physical output at the same time.

But the most commercial opportunities will come in entertainment and education. And as an amusement park ride or museum exhibit, the VirtuSphere can help synthesise a compelling and authentic experience in many genres – from walking on the moon to visiting a Ugandan orphanage to walking across the virtual playing field while the real game is on.

How much and where do I get it?

If you want a VirtuSphere with the lot, right now, it’ll cost you US$100,000 – prohibitive for individuals but not for mission-critical training environments such as the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Marine Corps VIRTE program.

Though in its infancy as a company VirtuSphere might one day hold some significant sway in the history of the computer human interface. VirtuSphere is already being employed in a host of wys by companies and institutions as diverse as Intel, CyberCup 2005, the Central Museum of Communications, St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications, the Moscow 2012 Olympic Bid Committee, Taftneft Oil and Gas Museum, Polytechnic Museum and the Tourism Office of the Moscow City Government

VirtuSphere systems are made to client specifications and typically include an easy-to-assemble sphere, a base platform that enables it to rotate, a head-mounted display, 3D sensors, sphere rotation trackers, a computer, device drivers and 3D software applications.

Made out of plastic via injection moulding, the company is 90% down the road towards volume manufacture but is still in start-up mode seeking funding quite aggressively. “Once the funds are available, we need between three and six months of lead time to set up manufacturing,” says VirtuSphere’s Alexey Palladin. “Most of the funds we’re looking for are for tooling and manufacturing process at this point. Most of the components of system design have already been figured out and we are selling advanced prototypes in the US$50K to 100K price range depending on the configuration.

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