Locomotion Intermediate: Teleportation

Navigating physical constraints in VR

VR presents a unique challenge: the limitations of physical space for the user. Imagine a virtual scene where the user needs to walk long distances to reach a pond for fishing. This scenario is challenging, if not impossible, to replicate due to physical space constraints. Even users with ample room to experience VR can’t freely move around because walking with a head-mounted display covering their eyes poses safety risks.

To address this limitation, we have the Continuous Move locomotion option. However, it comes with a significant drawback: motion sickness. To counter this, we introduce another locomotion technique: teleportation. This is a widely used method for seamless navigation within and between scenes. This lesson delves into the details of teleportation.

Teleportation

Teleportation involves the instantaneous movement of an object from one location to another without physically traversing the space in between. Interestingly, teleportation is a hot topic in theoretical physics, but here, we’ll implement it in virtual reality.

Note: Ensure that both the Teleportation Provider and Locomotion System are added to the XR origin.

Teleportation Area

In the teleportation process, users cast a ray to their desired location and activate the teleportation button, magically transporting themselves from the source to the destination.