Wheel-Based Attachable Footwear for VR: Challenges and Opportunities in Seated Walking-in-Place Locomotion

This poster explores the potential of Cybershoes, a foot-based consumer input device, used with a swivel chair to enable seated walking-in-place (WIP) locomotion in virtual reality (VR). Through a qualitative study with 12 participants, we investigated the effects of Cybershoes on user comfort, presence, motion sickness, and overall experience during various sightseeing tasks. Our findings reveal both opportunities and challenges for Cybershoes as a seated-WIP solution. Participants perceived Cybershoes as more natural for navigation compared to handheld controllers, with most reporting reduced motion sickness. However, challenges included perceived slower movement speed, ergonomic issues, and limited action detection. Our work also highlights Cybershoes’ potential beyond gaming, including applications in exercise, professional training, remote work, and accessibility.