Continuous omnidirectional treadmill apparatus

An omnidirectional treadmill device comprising:

• an internal treadmill deck;
• a hollow, spherical treadmill belt which loosely envelops the internal treadmill deck such that the hollow, spherical treadmill belt is not held under tension by the internal treadmill deck alone;
• a treadmill belt management system configured to tension the hollow, spherical treadmill belt and pull a portion of that hollow, spherical treadmill belt flat over the top surface of the internal treadmill deck;
• the treadmill belt management system comprising a plurality of low friction rings configured to act as omnidirectional pulleys, redirecting the hollow, spherical treadmill belt between that plurality of low friction rings;
• a treadmill deck support system comprising a plurality of ball transfers configured to secure the internal treadmill deck through the hollow, spherical treadmill belt without inhibiting movement of that hollow, spherical treadmill belt;
• a motorized drive system comprising at least one electric motor coupled to an omniwheel external to the hollow, spherical treadmill belt, with each motor coupled external omniwheel being paired with a, freely rotatable, internal omniwheel such that the hollow, spherical treadmill belt is frictionally engaged between the outer edges of each pair of external and internal omniwheels;
• and
• a lateral force detection system comprising at least one sensor configured to detect a magnitude and direction of translational forces imparted by a user onto the hollow, spherical treadmill belt.