Walmart patent filings envision customers strapping on headsets and virtually shopping

Strap on a virtual reality headset and start shopping as if you were in a Walmart. That's a possibility conjured by two patent applications the company filed. The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer has applied for patents that envision a virtual showroom and a fulfillment center that would allow people to put on a headset and shop in a digital version of the store. Customers could browse and interact with merchandise through a 3D simulation that responds to their gestures, the filings indicate. And in turn, the simulations could generate sensory feedback such as the feeling of moisture, heat, force and wind, as users manipulate the items.