Surplex is developing VR tracking shoes to track human body movements, eliminating the need for additional sensors to track movements.
Currently in the process of a Kickstarter campaign, the Surplex VR full-body tracking shoes are claimed to be compatible with SteamVR-compatible headsets, communicating with gaming PCs via Wi-Fi.
The shoes are designed for a number of applications, clocking in with a thickness of 1mm. The shoes use more than 480 flexible pressure sensors under each foot, as well as deep learning algorithms to correctly infer 3D human skeletons. Each shoe is also equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor to estimate the shoe’s angle.
These features are used to provide realistic simulated movements to connect virtual experiences with the real world.
The shoes feature a nine hour battery life and could be used in medical applications to read pressure information and other kinetic data, enabling customised development and use in scenarios for athlete performance analysis and rehabilitation analysis.