He Roto Virtual Reality Explorer The chair is designed to make VR experiences more immersive (and less nauseating) by combining real-world movements with what's seen in a headset. By simply rotating the user while sitting in place, it can do so in a much smaller space than other solutions like the Virtuix Omni treadmill or Disney's Holo Tile treadmill.
It looks like an office chair, but the Roto VR Explorer is distinguished by an oversized wheeled base with an integrated electric motor that can spin a seated user at speeds of up to 21 revolutions per minute. The chair will automatically rotate left and right to match the head turns of a user wearing a Meta Quest headset, but instead of relying on motion data captured by the Quest, the Roto VR Explorer uses its own motion-sensing head tracker attached to a head strap.
The Roto VR Explorer comes with the Made for Meta seal of approvalwhich means it's “authorized by Meta to meet our high quality standards,” but since head tracking is handled by a proprietary sensor, the chair should also work with other VR headsets, as long as you have a head strap to attach it to.
The speed of the chair corresponds to the speed and intensity of the user's head movements. A small turn of the head will result in barely perceptible turns or, in some cases, no movement at all, but a quick turn of the head will cause the chair to rapidly accelerate to its maximum speed.
The chair promises to reduce motion sickness (a long-standing problem for many users of devices like the Meta Quest) because it incorporates real-world motions that match what you see in a VR experience, so your brain is less disoriented. Could you recreate a similar experience by simply turning a regular office chair with your legs? It's possible, but the motions wouldn't match up as closely as claimed here.
The Roto VR Explorer won’t completely eliminate motion sickness. Users can still experience it when moving forward or backward or quickly teleporting to other areas in a VR world using a controller. Being able to physically walk around while experiencing VR is still a better option, but the chair is designed as a middle ground solution for smaller spaces, where full-body movements may be restricted.
Other useful features include a vibration pack mounted under the seat, which provides force feedback, a modular design for connecting other unannounced accessories, and a USB port at the base of the chair that swivels so users can keep a VR headset charged without cables getting tangled. Locking wheels also ensure the Roto VR Explorer won’t slide around during intense VR experiences.
It's now available to pre-order for $799 (or £799 in the UK) and according TechnologyCrunch, It is expected to be launched on the market in early October. If virtual reality fans are experiencing a sense of déjà vu, it is because the company presented a More complex version in 2020which sold for more than $2,000.
