One thing going slightly viral lately is footage of Disney’s “HoloTile” infinite floor, an experimental sort of 360° treadmill developed by [Lanny Smoot]. But how exactly does it …
I don't think it needs to be much bigger for an individual, just fast enough to keep them near the center even at a run. Smaller pads will be the way to go, just have to drive and control them in sync. Maybe predictive software to only run where your feet are at or will be, to minimize the noise.
I could see them innovating with electromagnetic suspension, like with predictive magnetic suspensions in supercars. General Atomics has also been developing a rarely green-lit, high-speed maglev train for freight in California, so we may see proliferation of that tech if the project shows success.
I was mostly joking, but multidirectional treadmill - at least for being able to keep the holodeck to one room and not have to worry about bumping into walls. VR wasn’t a thing yet so I had no idea how any other parts of it would work, but like I said - I was a kid. I’m glad there are “real” big brains working in it, though lol