Build your Own!: Open-Source VR Shoes for Unity3D

Abstract

Hand-held controllers enable all kinds of interaction in Virtual Reality (VR), such as object manipulation as well as for locomotion. VR shoes allow using the hand exclusively for naturally manual tasks, such as object manipulation, while locomotion could be realized through feet input -- just like in the physical world. While hand-held VR controllers became standard input devices for consumer VR products, VR shoes are only barely available, and also research on that input modality remains open questions. We contribute here with open-source VR shoes and describe how to build and implement them as Unity3D input device. We hope to support researchers in VR research and practitioners in VR product design to increase usability and natural interaction in VR.