Kat VR, a China-based company known for their crowdfunded Kat Walk VR treadmill, are hitting Kickstarter again soon with a new design that promises to accommodate smaller spaces.

The company says their new Kat Walk Mini has “a much smaller footprint that can fit in any room whilst maintaining the open, non-restrictive design that allows for full range of movement for your arms and legs.”

Besides being smaller and lighter than the 2015-era Kat Walk, the new ‘mini’ design replaces the older wireless foot sensors with a laser sensor array set into the baseplate of the device, which is said to feature lower latency and provide more responsive input. Kat Walk Mini also features a redesigned guide bar system that pivots in place as you turn your body to face the desired direction. A “high strain shock-absorbing material” is used in the treadmill’s base, although we’re not sure how it differs from the original unit’s surface, or if that will require the user to user to don special low-friction shoes.

The original Kat Walk completed its first successful crowdfunding campaign nearly 3 years ago, garnering $150,000 from backers. The unit is a fairly large and heavy piece of kit though that, despite starting at an early bird price of $600, looked to appeal to mostly arcades and prosumers based on its fairly cumbersome size. Seeing a smaller, and decidedly more consumer-friendly version that incorporates some of the same freedom of movement is an interesting prospect to say the least.

“We decided to go back to our roots, to the same community that supported us initially, and that is why our next product will be launching on Kickstarter very soon. Since the product is still a prototype, we encourage the community’s involvement and feedback during the development process of KAT WALK mini,” the company told Road to VR

Kat VR is still staying tight-lipped on the specifics, as there’s still no official launch date or pricing structure yet for the Kat Walk Mini Kickstarter. We’re hoping for ‘soon’ and ‘not terribly expensive’.

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Well before the first modern XR products hit the market, Scott recognized the potential of the technology and set out to understand and document its growth. He has been professionally reporting on the space for nearly a decade as Editor at Road to VR, authoring more than 4,000 articles on the topic. Scott brings that seasoned insight to his reporting from major industry events across the globe.
  • And what if I need to lay prone, like in Onward?

    • Peter Ador

      An Omnideck will do.

    • Peter Ador

      Something like an Omnideck is more suitable for that.

  • Nosfar

    Ive got the Virtuiox Omni, i can say it makes gami g in vr better for some games. But the mini seems to fix all the issues i have with the omni. Im gonna kickstart it.

  • VR Geek

    Unless it tracks your feet 1:1 I am passing. I got the Omni and while the build quality is very good, the foot tracking is horrible as it is NOT 1:1. This mean stepping forward not only had an odd delay but movement is slower or faster than you would expect. Epic fail for me. Hope someone gets this right as the potential here is awesome.

    • VR Geek

      So you can use the FORWARD facing PSVR with this too according to their video. I predict this thing is more hype than sizzle.

    • nejihiashi88

      is it an early version ? cuz they seem to have shoes that can track you when slide,
      and does it have good games with walking

      • VR Geek

        The shoes are not 1:1 tracked. The sensor that tracks the shoes is in the ring that holds the hardness you wear. This means the sensor is 2 feet away from the shoes and it only really detects your feet when it goes beyond a certain point. If you take a small step nothing happens. Conversely, if you stick you foot forward all the way it is the same as pushing up on a joystick and it immediately moves you even if you do not slide your foot back for a second. It is clumsy and not at all actually tracking the sliding of your feet 1:1. It is just a joystick attached to your feet. If the deck under your feet tracked your feet accurately it would be awesome. Maybe a ViVe tracker would world if it have line of site to the laser sweepers. This is a problem that someone will fix, but currently the physical design of the Virtuix cannot accommodate regardless of software updates

  • Ombra Alberto

    No Oculus? No party.

    • Zes Lee

      wrr

  • brubble

    Yeah I’ll pass, I just cant afford to be seen in cheap fake “swat” gear. It would damage the town to hear it.

  • Miqa

    Let me guess. Overpriced, compromised, incompatible and won’t deliver to consumers when all is said and done? Ringing any bells?

    • Stephanie

      Google paying every one 98 US dollars per-hr to complete few task with a computer … Do work Some only few time and fun greater time together with your relatives . Any person can also do this easy work!on Monday I got a great new Mercedes-Benz S-class after just getting $14523 past month .it sounds my favourite-job however you could no longer forgive yourself if you do not view this.!df50k:➽➽➽ http://GoogleCashOnlineWorkAtHome/get/pay/$97/perhour ♥♥♥t♥g♥♥z♥♥w♥♥♥t♥♥y♥♥♥u♥♥♥x♥♥♥a♥♥v♥c♥m♥♥z♥l♥x♥♥♥h♥j♥v♥♥w♥♥♥k♥♥g♥♥t♥♥t♥♥k♥♥a:::::::!uh531s:edrszw

    • Zes Lee

      wrong, loser idts. cepu, do any nmw s ok

  • Tomas Sandven

    This just looks so stupid and clumsy… I would never consider buying this without testing it thoroughly first, and I don’t see how that will ever happen.

  • Andrew Jakobs

    Did they actually ship the first design?

  • Kenji Fujimori

    More reverse engineering by China