I think there might be a problem with calling these new VR systems are 'holodecks', a term used both by journalists and sometimes the technologies' inventors th

I think there might be a problem with calling these new VR systems are 'holodecks', a term used both by journalists and sometimes the technologies' inventors themselves. Just because we haven't yet reached a USS Enterprise level of refinement, in which you can run, climb and interact with objects naturally, doesn't mean that omnidirectional treadmills don't have a huge amount of potential. After all, I for one don't feel any less impressed by ground-penetrating radar or X-ray scanners just because they won't fit in a pocket-sized Star Trek tricorder. All that will come in time, probably within my lifetime. That's already a century or two ahead of their fictional schedule :) We could use omnidirectional treadmills right here and now, the vestibular confusion issues notwithstanding, for all kind of entertainment and education purposes. Consider that a lot of popular video games don't actually involve as much complex movement as you might assume from the critiques of VR: the main activity in most tactical first-person-shooter games is crouching behind walls! Virtual reality museums and art galleries will be great with omnidirectional treadmills; here, walking is not the point, it's just a natural and intuitive way of navigating in a virtual environment without having to learn the controls beforehand.