Cyber/virtual space can be infinitely expansive, but the real/physical space in which we live is not. Room-scale virtual reality (VR) is one where users explore a cyber/virtual environment by physically walking through it. The technology provides many benefits given its highly immersive experience. Yet the drawbacks are that it requires large physical spaces. It can also lack the haptic feedback when touching objects.

We have developed a new system to overcome this problem: RedirectedDoors+. The system, which built upon an existing visuo-haptic door-opening redirection technique, allows participants to subtly manipulate the walking direction while opening doors in VR, guiding them away from real walls. At the same time, it reproduces the realistic haptics of touching a doorknob, enhancing the quality of the experience.

To provide users with that experience, RedirectedDoors+ employs a small number of 'door robots.' The robots have a doorknob-shaped attachment and can move in any direction, giving immediate touch feedback when the user interacts with the doorknob. In addition, the virtual/cyber environment rotates in sync with the door movement, ensuring the user stays within the physical space limits.

A simulation study conducted to evaluate the performance of the system demonstrated the physical space size could be significantly reduced in six different virtual/cyber environments. A validation study with 12 users walking with the system likewise demonstrated that this system works safely in real-world environments.

RedirectDoors+ has redefined the boundaries of VR exploration, offering unprecedented freedom and realism in virtual environments. It has a wide range of applicability, such as in VR vocational training, architectural design, and urban planning.

The research results were published in the online preliminary version of the IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, a scientific journal of the IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers), on March 11 2024, and were orally presented at the largest premier international conference in the field of VR, the IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (IEEE VR & 3DUI 2024, 16-21 March, Orlando, USA), the most important international conference in the field of VR.